US naval officer sentenced to over two years in prison for selling military secrets to China

A United States Navy serviceman, who pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for sensitive US military information, was sentenced to more than two years in prisonon Monday (Jan 8), said the Department of Justice (DOJ).

What happened in the court?

The 26-year-old US Navy Petty Officer, Wenheng Zhao, who hails from the state of California, was sentenced to 27 months in prison by a district judge. Zhao and another US sailor identified as Jinchao Wei, were arrested in August on suspicion of spying for China.

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Zhao had pleaded guilty in a federal court in California last year in October to charges of one count of conspiring with a foreign intelligence officer and one count of accepting a bribe. The 26-year-old has also been ordered to pay a $5,500 fine.

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The DOJ had sought a sentence of 37 months, arguing that the petty officer had obstructed the government’s investigation.

According to US officials, Zhao, who was stationed at the Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, north of Los Angeles, California received nearly $15,000 from the Chinese intelligence officer between August 2021 and May 2023.

In exchange for the bribe, the 26-year-old who had security clearance, handed over sensitive information regarding US Navy operational security, exercises and critical infrastructure.

According to the DOJ, Zhao specifically provided information about a large-scale maritime training exercise in the Pacific theatre, operational orders, electrical diagrams and blueprints for a Japanese radar system located in Okinawa, Japan.

Zhao, a naturalised US citizen born in China, has been held in custody without bail.

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“Mr Zhao betrayed his solemn oath to defend his country and endangered those who serve in the US military,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen in a statement.

He added, “The justice department is committed to combating the Chinese government’s efforts to undermine our nation’s security and holding accountable those who violate our laws as part of those efforts.”

“He’s ready to take responsibility for what he has done,” Tarek Shawky, the US Navy officer’s attorney, said at the sentencing hearing in Los Angeles, as quoted by the New York Post.

About Wei’s case

Wei, 22, whose arrest was announced at the same time as Zhao’s was taken into custody for a separate alleged plot to hand over to China dozens of documents, photos and videos detailing the operation of ships and their systems.

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The 22-year-old served on the amphibious assault ship, the USS Essex, based in San Diego and has been in custody on espionage charges.

(With inputs from agencies)