A U.S. Navy sailor was convicted on Wednesday of spying for China while on active duty and using his security clearance to sell sensitive information about the capabilities of American warships, including their vulnerabilities.
The sailor, Jinchao Wei, known as Patrick Wei, 25, who was a machinist’s mate aboard the Essex, an amphibious assault ship moored at Naval Base San Diego, will face a maximum possible sentence of life in prison at his sentencing, which is set for Dec. 1.
A jury in U.S. District Court in San Diego found Mr. Wei guilty on six of seven criminal counts he faced, including two spying charges brought under the Espionage Act, and four conspiracy counts in violation of the Arms Export Control Act.
The Navy characterized some of the information sold by Mr. Wei, for a total of $12,000, as “critical technology.”
A second sailor, who was arrested at the same time as Mr. Wei, was sentenced last year to 27 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring with a Chinese intelligence officer and accepting a bribe.
Prosecutors said that Mr. Wei, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in China, had betrayed his adopted country when he used his security clearance to obtain closely-held details about the U.S. naval fleet and military operations.
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