NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 3, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Jinchao Wei, a United States Navy sailor, was arrested yesterday on espionage expenses as he arrived for work at Naval Base San Diego, the homeport of the Pacific Fleet. Wei is scheduled to seem in federal court docket at the moment pursuant to a federal grand jury indictment charging him with conspiracy to ship nationwide protection data to an intelligence officer working for the People’s Republic of China.
The indictment, unsealed this morning, alleges that Wei, also called Patrick Wei, was an active-duty sailor on the amphibious assault ship U.S.S. Essex stationed at Naval Base San Diego. In his function as a machinist’s mate, Wei held a U.S. safety clearance and had entry to delicate nationwide protection details about the ship’s weapons, propulsion and desalination programs. Amphibious assault ships just like the Essex resemble small plane carriers and permit the U.S. army to mission energy and preserve presence by serving because the cornerstone of the U.S. Navy’s amphibious readiness and expeditionary strike capabilities.
The crime of espionage below U.S. Code Section 794 has by no means been charged on this district, and till at the moment had solely been charged 5 instances within the final six years throughout all the nation. The statute is reserved for probably the most severe circumstances involving the passage of nationwide protection data supposed to hurt the United States or for the advantage of a international energy.
The indictment alleges the next:
In February 2022, Wei started speaking with an intelligence officer from the People’s Republic of China who requested that Wei present details about the united statesS. Essex and different Navy ships. Specifically, the Chinese officer tasked Wei with passing him images, movies, and paperwork regarding U.S. Navy ships and their programs. The two agreed to cover their communications by deleting information of their conversations and utilizing encrypted strategies of communication.
At the request of the intelligence officer, Wei despatched images and movies of the Essex; disclosed the places of varied Navy ships; and described defensive weapons of the Essex, between March 2022 and the current. In trade for this data, the intelligence officer paid Wei hundreds of {dollars} over the course of the conspiracy.
The indictment additional alleges that in June of 2022, Wei despatched the intelligence officer roughly 30 technical and mechanical manuals. These manuals contained export management warnings and detailed the operations of a number of programs aboard the Essex and comparable ships, together with energy, steering, plane and deck elevators, in addition to injury and casualty controls. The intelligence officer confirmed with Wei that at the least 10 of these manuals had been helpful to him. For passage of these supplies, the indictment alleges that Wei was paid $5,000.
In June 2022, the intelligence officer requested that Wei present details about the quantity and coaching of U.S. Marines throughout an upcoming worldwide maritime warfare train. In response to this request, Wei despatched a number of images of army tools to the intelligence officer.
In August 2022, Wei despatched a further 26 technical and mechanical manuals associated to the ability construction and operation of the Essex and comparable ships. The manuals contained warnings that this was technical knowledge topic to export controls and that it was deemed “vital know-how” by the U.S. Navy.
The indictment additional alleges that in October 2022, Wei despatched a technical guide to the intelligence officer describing the format and placement of sure departments, together with berthing quarters and weapons programs. Specifically, Wei despatched a weapons management programs guide for the Essex and comparable ships. This guide contained export-controlled knowledge that would not be exported with out a license from the U.S. authorities. The indictment alleges that Wei knowingly violated the International Traffic in Arms Regulations by transmitting this guide to the Chinese intelligence officer with out acquiring a required license.
The intelligence officer continued to request data in 2023, together with details about the overhaul and upgrades to the Essex. Specifically, he requested blueprints, particularly these associated to modifications to the flight deck. Wei offered data associated to the repairs the Essex was present process, in addition to different mechanical issues with comparable vessels.
During the alleged conspiracy, the intelligence officer instructed Wei to assemble U.S. army data that was not public and admonished him to not focus on their relationship and to destroy any proof concerning the character of their relationship and their actions.
“We have entrusted members of our army with great duty and nice religion,” mentioned U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Our nation’s security and safety are of their palms. When a soldier or sailor chooses money over nation, and palms over nationwide protection data in an final act of betrayal, the United States will aggressively examine and prosecute.” Grossman thanked the prosecution crew and investigating businesses for his or her wonderful work on this case.
“Petty Officer Wei, who as a service member was trusted with our nation’s secrets and techniques, is accused of promoting out his nation and betraying his oath to the Navy by willingly offering delicate army data to a Chinese intelligence officer for his personal monetary achieve,” mentioned Special Agent in Charge Brice Miller of the NCIS Office of Special Projects. “NCIS will proceed to leverage its distinctive legislation enforcement and counterintelligence authorities to aggressively root out those that put our nation’s warfighters in danger. We sincerely thank the FBI and the Department of Justice for his or her important help to this advanced investigation.”
“These arrests present the FBI’s dedication to using all of its legislation enforcement and U.S. intelligence group sources and capabilities to aggressively fight the People’s Republic of China’s authorities’s threats in opposition to our army and to guard the United States’ most valuable property,” mentioned FBI San Diego Field Office Special Agent in Charge, Stacey Moy. “We stay dedicated to figuring out, disrupting, and dismantling any and all efforts by the PRC to threaten our nationwide safety.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Parmley and Fred Sheppard from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California and Trial Attorney Adam Barry from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
View the Indictment
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed harmless till confirmed responsible past an affordable doubt in a court docket of legislation.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23CR01471-H
Jinchao Wei Age: 22 San Diego
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 18, United States Code, Section 794(c) – Conspiracy to Communicate, Deliver, or Transmit Defense Information to Aid a Foreign Government
Maximum penalty: Life in jail, $250,000 wonderful
Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 794(a) – Communicate, Deliver, or Transmit Defense Information to Aid a Foreign Government
Maximum penalty: Life in jail and $250,000
Title 22, U.S.C., Sec. 2778(b)(2) and (c); Title 22, C.F.R., Secs. 121.1, 127.1 and 127.3 – Conspiracy to Export Defense Articles Without a License
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in jail and $1 million wonderful
Title 22, U.S.C., Sec. 2778(b)(2) and (c); Title 22, C.F.R., Secs. 121.1, 127.1 and 127.3 – Export of Defense Articles Without a License
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in jail and $1 million wonderful
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
