A federal district court in California on Monday sentenced a former U.S. Navy sailor to 27 years in prison for accepting thousands of dollars in bribes and providing Chinese intelligence with “controlled and confidential” details of large-scale U.S. military exercises in the Indo-Pacific. Sentence for the month. In this region, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
In October, Zhao Wenheng, also known as Thomas Chao, pleaded guilty to conspiring with a foreign enemy and accepting bribes. Prosecutors said he received nearly $15,000 in 14 separate payments.
“Mr. Zhao betrayed and disgraced his country by accepting bribes from intelligence officials” in relation to China, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement from the Justice Department.
Chao, 26, of Monterey Park, California, was arrested in August and worked as a petty officer at a U.S. naval base in Ventura County, California. He was born in China, immigrated to the United States in 2009, became naturalized in 2012, and joined the U.S. Navy in 2017.
According to court filings, from August 2021 to May 2023, Zhao “collected” and “transmitted” photos and videos containing specific locations and timing of naval movements, as well as logistics and operational support information. “did.
The indictment said the stolen materials also included drawings and blueprints for a radar system installed at a U.S. military base in Okinawa.
Mr. Zhao could have been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for this charge. He has been in custody since August and his sentence will be calculated from the date of his arrest. He was also fined $5,500.
Donald Alway, head of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said Zhao’s sentence should make it “very clear” that anyone “causing to the advances of adversaries in China and the United States” will be held accountable. said.
US Navy sailor pleads guilty to sharing military data with China
US Navy sailor pleads guilty to sharing military data with China
The Chinese embassy in Washington said Monday it was not aware of the details of the incident. However, he added that in recent years “the U.S. government and media” have “hyped ‘spying’ cases related to China, many of which were later found to be unfounded.”
“China firmly opposes the U.S. side’s groundless slander and slander against China,” the embassy said in an emailed response.
Also in August, San Diego-based U.S. sailor Jingchao Wei, also known as Patrick Wei, was arrested on similar charges of stealing U.S. national defense information for China. Prosecutors did not say whether Wei, 22, had been in contact with Zhao or whether they were working under the same agent.
Wei, who was born in China and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2022, has maintained his innocence. The court has scheduled a status hearing on further pretrial motions on March 18.
U.S. officials believe the two cases provide further evidence of Chinese government espionage on U.S. soil.
After Zhao pleaded guilty in October, Matthew Olsen, the assistant attorney general for national security, said, “The People’s Republic of China’s intelligence agencies actively target clearance holders throughout the military and lure them with money.” “They are trying to get them to provide confidential government information.”