A former United States Navy sailor, Jinchao Wei, has been sentenced to 200 months in prison—about 16 years—after being convicted of spying for China and selling sensitive U.S. military information to a Chinese intelligence officer.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday that Wei, 25, also known as Patrick Wei, was sentenced following his conviction by a federal jury in August 2025. He was found guilty of multiple espionage-related offences.
Wei was arrested in August 2023 as he reported for duty aboard the USS Essex at Naval Base San Diego. Prosecutors said he sold national defence information to an intelligence officer linked to the People’s Republic of China in exchange for more than $12,000.
According to the Justice Department, Wei held a U.S. security clearance as a machinist’s mate and had access to classified details on naval weapons systems, propulsion and desalination equipment. Investigators said he shared photographs, videos, ship locations and technical data after being recruited through social media in February 2022, despite suspecting early on that his contact was tied to Chinese intelligence.
U.S. officials condemned Wei’s actions, describing them as a serious breach of trust and a threat to national security. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Wei “betrayed his country,” while Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg noted that he violated the oath sworn by U.S. service members.
After a five-day trial, Wei was convicted on six counts, including conspiracy to commit espionage and unlawful export of defence-related data, and acquitted on one count of naturalisation fraud. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
