SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A San Diego-based Navy sailor accused of selling military secrets to China was back in federal court on Thursday facing new charges.
Jinchao Wei is one of two California sailors who have been charged with sending China sensitive military information. Wei pleaded not guilty to all charges back in August and entered a not guilty plea on Thursday for a couple of new counts of export violations and one count of naturalization fraud.
Wei was arrested last year on suspicion of espionage as he arrived for work at Naval Base San Diego, where he was employed on the U.S.S. Essex.
“When a soldier or sailor chooses cash over country and hands over national defense information in an ultimate act of betrayal, we have to be ready to act," Randy Grossman, former U.S. Attorney, told 10News in an interview last year.
An indictment alleges Wei used encrypted channels to communicate with a Chinese Intelligence Officer — sharing details of weapons systems.
"Our indictment alleges that over the course of more than a year and on multiple occasions, Wei sent national defense information to China, including documents, photos, videos, and technical manuals. In exchange, his intelligence officer paid Wei thousands of dollars. The officer even congratulated him when he became a U.S. citizen in May of 2022," said Grossman.
Wei returns to court on Monday, Mar. 18, for a status hearing.
