The US Justice Department announced on Monday that a US Navy petty officer who had entered a guilty plea to giving Chinese intelligence officers access to classified military material would serve a term of more than two years in prison.
Suspected of being Chinese spies, Wenheng Zhao, a 26-year-old, and Jinchao Wei, a fellow US sailor, were taken into custody in August.
In October, Zhao entered a guilty plea to accusations of receiving a bribe and plotting with a foreign intelligence official in a California federal court.
On Monday, he was given a sentence of $5,500 in fines and 27 months in prison.
US officials claim that between August 2021 and May 2023, Zhao—who was assigned to a naval base north of Los Angeles—received about $15,000 from the Chinese intelligence officer.
He provided classified information about US Navy operational security, drills, and vital infrastructure in return.
Zhao specifically supplied electrical schematics and blueprints for a radar system situated in Okinawa, Japan, as well as details regarding a massive naval training exercise in the Pacific.
“Mr. Zhao betrayed his solemn oath to defend his country and endangered those who serve in the US military,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen said in a statement.
“The Justice Department is committed to combatting the Chinese government’s efforts to undermine our nation’s security and holding accountable those who violate our laws as part of those efforts.”
Wei, who was stationed aboard the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship, is charged with transferring to China numerous records, images, and videos that showed how ships and their systems were operated.
