A federal jury on Wednesday, Aug. 20, convicted Jinchao “Patrick” Wei—an active-duty U.S. Navy sailor stationed at Naval Base San Diego—of six felony counts tied to espionage and export violations after prosecutors said he sold sensitive Navy information to a Chinese intelligence officer for more than $12,000, according to a press release by U.S. Department of Justice . Sentencing is set for December 1.
Jurors returned guilty verdicts after a five-day trial and one day of deliberations on conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage, and unlawful export of, and conspiracy to export, technical data related to defense articles in violation of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, according to the press release.
According to the government’s evidence, Wei served as a machinist’s mate aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex and held a U.S. security clearance that gave him access to sensitive national defense information, the Justice Department said. He was first approached in February 2022 via social media by someone posing as a naval enthusiast who was, in fact, a Chinese intelligence officer. Between February 2022 and his arrest in August 2023, Wei sent photographs, videos, ship-movement information, technical manuals, weapons capabilities, and details about other U.S. Navy ships drawn from restricted computer systems. Payments exceeded $12,000 over roughly 18 months.
At trial, prosecutors introduced messages and other communications between Wei and his handler that described tasking, steps to avoid detection, and how Wei was compensated. In addition to the espionage counts, Wei was convicted of four counts related to conspiring to violate and violating the Arms Export Control Act, which bars the willful export of technical data associated with defense articles without Department of State authorization.
The FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service led the investigation with assistance from the Department of State and the Transportation Security Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parmley of the Southern District of California and Trial Attorney Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
What’s next: Wei is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 1 in federal court in San Diego.
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