SAN DIEGO — A U.S. Navy sailor has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for transmitting classified U.S. military information to a Chinese intelligence officer.
Wenheng Chao, 26, also known as Thomas Chao, of Monterey Park, was sentenced Monday by a federal judge in Los Angeles to 27 months in prison. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of receiving bribes in violation of official duties. He was also fined $5,500. His attorney, Tarek Shawky, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Zhao, who is based at the Ventura County Naval Base in Port Hueneme, north of Los Angeles, received information from Chinese intelligence officers 14 times through August 2021 in exchange for information, photos and videos about Navy exercises, operations and facilities he was involved with. collected nearly $15,000 in bribes in different payments. It will last until at least May 2023, prosecutors said.
The U.S. Department of Justice said he had been cleared by the U.S. national security government and received regular training on hostile nation-state efforts to obtain classified information.
The information includes plans for large-scale U.S. military exercises in the Indo-Pacific region and details the location and timing of naval power movements. According to court documents, Chinese officials provided Mr. Zhao with information needed to conduct a marine economic study to inform investment decisions.
Prosecutors say Chinese officials offered to pay Zhao a bonus for the classified information they controlled.
According to prosecutors, Cho used encrypted communications to send information to intelligence officers and destroyed evidence to conceal their relationship.
“Mr. Zhao waived his oath to the United States and endangered the United States military when he accessed and handed over classified information to China for compensation,” said Donald Allway, deputy director of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office. said in a statement.
Mr. Zhao was one of two California-based US Navy sailors indicted last summer on charges of providing classified military information to China.
The two sailors were charged with similar acts for providing classified information to the Chinese side. However, these were separate cases, and it was not clear whether the two cases were litigated or whether they were paid as part of a larger scheme.
Jingchao Wei, known as Patrick Wei, was assigned to the San Diego-based USS Essex when he was arrested aboard the ship last August. He is accused of providing detailed information about weapons systems and aircraft aboard the Essex, a small aircraft carrier, and other amphibious assault ships.
If convicted, he could receive life in prison. He has pleaded not guilty and the case is ongoing.
U.S. officials have long expressed concern about the espionage threat posed by the Chinese government, and in recent years have brought criminal charges against Chinese government agents for stealing sensitive government and commercial information through illegal hacking and other means. ing.
U.S. officials said the incident illustrates China’s brazenness in seeking insight into U.S. military operations.