A US Navy petty officer who pleaded guilty to providing sensitive military information to a Chinese intelligence officer on Monday was sentenced to more than two years in prison, the US Department of Justice said.
Zhao Wenheng (趙文恆), 26, and another US sailor, Patrick Wei (魏晉超), 22, were arrested in August last year on suspicion of spying for China.
Zhao pleaded guilty in a federal court in California in October last year to charges of conspiring with a foreign intelligence officer and accepting a bribe.
Photo grab from US Navy website
He was sentenced on Monday to 27 months in prison and a US$5,500 fine.
Zhao, who was stationed at a naval base north of Los Angeles, California, received nearly US$15,000 from the Chinese intelligence officer between August 2021 and May last year, US officials said.
In exchange, he handed over sensitive information regarding US Navy operational security, exercises and critical infrastructure.
Zhao specifically provided information about a large-scale maritime training exercise in the Pacific, and electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system in Okinawa, Japan.
“Mr Zhao betrayed his solemn oath to defend his country and endangered those who serve in the US military,” US Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen said in a statement. “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.”
Wei, who served on the amphibious assault ship the USS Essex, is accused of handing over to China dozens of documents, photographs and videos detailing the operation of ships and their systems.
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