China Espionage Cases

Former U.S. Navy sailor Jinchao Wei was sentenced Monday in federal court in San Diego to 200 months in prison after an August jury convicted him on six counts, including espionage and Arms Export Control Act violations, for selling roughly 60 technical and operating manuals—covering weapons control, power and steering, aircraft and deck elevators, and damage control—from the USS Essex and similar ships. Prosecutors say Wei, who served as a machinist’s mate on the Essex, was recruited via social media in February 2022 by a Chinese intelligence officer posing as a naval enthusiast tied to China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, received about $12,000 over roughly 18 months, admitted to the FBI that his conduct was “espionage,” and in a pre‑sentencing letter apologized and blamed “introversion and loneliness” for clouding his judgment.