A US Navy sailor was convicted of spying for China by a federal jury on Wednesday, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California said.
Jinchao “Patrick” Wei, stationed at the San Diego naval base, agreed to sell US Navy classified information to a Chinese intelligence officer for $12,000 over 18 months, and admitted this in a post-arrest interview.
He sent photos and videos of his ship, advised the officer of the locations of various Navy ships, described his ship’s defensive weapons, detailed problems with his and other ships at the base and elsewhere, and took from restricted systems thousands of pages of technical and operational information on the Navy’s surface-warfare ships.
He sold the officer more than 60 technical and operating manuals on Navy ships and systems that carried export-control warnings and detailed operations on the Essex and similar ships, including power, steering, weapons control, aircraft, and deck elevators, and damage and casualty controls.
Evidence showed he called the officer “Big Brother Andy” and hid their relationship by using multiple encrypted apps, creating multiple online accounts to accept payment, deleting messages and accounts, using digital “dead drops” that disappeared in 72 hours, and using a new computer and phone.
Wei had received Navy training on detecting foreign recruitment. He was arrested in August 2023 while working on the amphibious assault ship USS Essex at the base, the Pacific Fleet’s home port, and was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Amphibious assault ships are small aircraft carriers that, the statement said, “allow the US military to project power and maintain presence by serving as the cornerstone of the US Navy’s amphibious readiness and expeditionary strike capabilities.”
Evidence shows intent behind espionage
At trial, evidence showed that as a machinist’s mate, Wei held a US security clearance and had access to sensitive national defense information on the ship’s weapons, propulsion, and desalination systems.
The jury convicted him on six counts, including conspiracy to commit espionage, unlawful export, 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.
He was found not guilty of naturalization fraud.
Sentencing is set for December 1.
Wei was first recruited in February 2022 via social media by an officer who portrayed himself as a naval enthusiast working for the government-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation; despite this, Wei strongly suspected the officer’s identity and motive, according to evidence.
A week after first contact, Wei told a Navy friend he suspected he was “on the radar of a China intelligence organization,” said he was communicating with someone “extremely suspicious,” and that the person would pay him $500, adding he was not an “idiot” and “this is quite obviously f****** espionage.”
When the friend urged him to delete the contact, Wei instead continued messaging the officer on a different encrypted app he believed was more secure and began the espionage.
This is the first time espionage has been charged as a crime in the district.