(CNS) -- A San Diego-based U.S. Navy sailor accused of selling military secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer was convicted Wednesday of espionage, conspiracy, and other charges.
Jinchao Wei, who is 25 years old, worked as a machinist's mate aboard the USS Essex, sent sensitive information pertaining to U.S. Navy ships to a person he met online, according to prosecutors.
A San Diego federal jury convicted Wei on Wednesday of six out of seven counts he faced. He was found not guilty of one count of committing naturalization fraud.
Prosecutors allege Wei was initially contacted by the alleged officer in early 2022 over a Chinese social media site.
During those initial conversations, Wei was offered $500 to look into where various Navy ships were docked -- which prosecutors say prompted Wei to tell a fellow sailor, "This is quite obviously (expletive) espionage.
Over the next 18 months, Wei was paid thousands of dollars to send photographs and videos of the USS Essex, as well as thousands of pages of technical and operational documents concerning U.S. Navy surface warfare ships, prosecutors contend.
During closing arguments held Tuesday morning in San Diego federal court, Wei's defense attorney, Sean Jones, told jurors the government had not proven Wei knowingly engaged in espionage. The attorney argued that Wei believed the man he was speaking with was merely a Chinese academic who was interested in military ships, and described their conversations as educational in nature.
(Photo Getty Images)
Photo: Getty Images