Washington, D.C. – January 13, 2026 – A former U.S. Navy sailor of Chinese descent has been sentenced to 200 months in federal prison for espionage activities involving the transmission of sensitive defense information to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday, January 12.
Jinchao Wei, also known as Patrick Wei, a 25-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen born in China, was convicted on six counts, including conspiracy to commit espionage, conspiracy to engage in espionage activities, and the illegal export of classified data related to U.S. Navy vessels. He was acquitted on one count of naturalization fraud. Wei was arrested in August 2023 while serving as an active-duty sailor at the San Diego Naval Base, home port of the Pacific Fleet. He held a U.S. security clearance, granting him access to sensitive national defense information on ship weapons systems, propulsion, and desalination technologies.
The sentencing underscores the U.S. government's commitment to combating threats to national security. "Today's sentencing result demonstrates the shared determination of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Justice, and our intelligence partners—we will relentlessly pursue and hold accountable those who endanger the operational effectiveness, readiness, and national security of our naval fleet," NCIS Director Omar Lopez stated.
Court evidence revealed that Wei began acting as a CCP informant in 2022, influenced by his mother's encouragement, and received over $12,000 in payments over 18 months. Prosecutors disclosed that Wei was first approached by CCP intelligence officials during his U.S. citizenship application process. His mother urged him to cooperate, suggesting it could lead to a post-retirement job in the Chinese government. Following this, both mother and son were invited to visit China. Even after Wei obtained U.S. citizenship, the CCP officials congratulated him and continued their engagement.
Wei was recruited on February 14, 2022, via social media by a CCP intelligence officer who initially posed as a navy enthusiast working for the state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. Wei suspected the individual's true motives from the outset and even discussed deleting the contact with a friend, who advised against further interaction. However, Wei ignored the advice and switched to what he believed was a more secure encrypted messaging app the next day, beginning his espionage activities.
From March 2022 to August 2023, Wei complied with the officer's requests by sending photos and videos of the USS Essex—an amphibious assault ship where he served, functioning like a mini aircraft carrier and serving as a cornerstone of U.S. Navy amphibious readiness and expeditionary strike capabilities. He also reported the positions of multiple U.S. Navy ships, described the USS Essex's defensive weapon configurations, and disclosed operational issues on his vessel and other ships at the San Diego base.
In addition, Wei stole thousands of pages of technical and operational information from U.S. Navy internal computer systems, transmitting it to the CCP officer. In one major transaction, he sold at least 30 U.S. Navy system technical and operational manuals detailing the functioning of systems on the USS Essex and similar vessels, including power, steering, weapons control, aircraft and deck elevators, and damage control. These manuals bore explicit warnings against unauthorized disclosure. Overall, Wei provided approximately 60 such manuals, dozens of warship photos, and related materials from his service on the USS Essex.
The CCP officer, referred to as "Big Brother Andy," compensated Wei with payments totaling more than $12,000 during this period.
FBI Counterintelligence Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky emphasized the gravity of the case: "Wei knowingly disclosed sensitive military information to CCP intelligence officials, betraying his oath. This sentencing serves as a warning to all: those who prioritize personal gain over their commitments and U.S. security will face the full force of the law."
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