A U.S. Navy sailor was convicted on Aug. 20 of spying for China and for selling sensitive information about U.S. warships to a Chinese intelligence officer who recruited him through social media.

Wei Jinchao, 25, who also goes by Patrick Wei, was born in China and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2022, according to prosecutors. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2021 as a machinist’s mate aboard the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship homeported at Naval Base San Diego.

Wei was arrested on espionage charges in August 2023. He was charged with seven criminal counts in a superseding indictment in February 2024, in which prosecutors noted that he held a security clearance granting him access to classified materials.

On Aug. 20, a San Diego federal jury found Wei guilty on six of the seven counts, including conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage, and unlawful export of, and conspiracy to export, technical data related to defense articles in violation of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. He was acquitted of one count of naturalization fraud.

U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said in a statement that the jury’s verdict “serves as a crucial reminder that the Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute traitors.”

“The defendant’s actions represent an egregious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a member of the U.S. military,” Gordon said. “By trading military secrets to the People’s Republic of China for cash, he jeopardized not only the lives of his fellow sailors but also the security of the entire nation and our allies.”

The verdict was handed down after a five-day trial, during which prosecutors presented a range of evidence, including phone conversations, electronic messages, and audio messages that Wei had with his Chinese handler.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office outlined the timeline of how Wei became a spy for China and his past comments.

A Chinese intelligence officer recruited Wei on social media on Feb. 14, 2022, disguising himself as a naval enthusiast who worked for Beijing’s state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. About a week later, Wei confided in a friend in the U.S. Navy that the Chinese officer had offered him $500 for daily information on which ships were docked at the San Diego base.

Wei told his friend that he was “no idiot” and that what he was being asked to do was commit espionage.

Nevertheless, Wei and the Chinese officer built a relationship, and the defendant referred to his handler as “Big Brother Andy.” To keep their relationship a secret, Wei agreed to his handler’s requests to use multiple encrypted apps, create several online accounts to accept payment, delete messages and accounts, use digital “dead drops” that disappear in three days, and use a new computer and phone provided by the Chinese agent.

Eventually, the Chinese officer paid Wei more than $12,000 in the span of 18 months, according to prosecutors.

The superseding indictment documents several instances of exchanges between Wei and his Chinese handler.

In June 2022, Wei turned over about 30 export-restricted technical and mechanical manuals related to U.S. Navy vessels, in exchange for $5,000.

Also in June 2022, the Chinese officer asked Wei to provide information about “the numbers and training of U.S. Marines involved in an upcoming international maritime warfare [exercise], as well as photographs of military hardware, including guns, vehicles, and planes.”

Wei received $1,200 at the end of August 2022 for handing over more export-restricted manuals, including national defense information.

In January 2023, the Chinese officer instructed Wei to turn over information about “the overhaul and upgrades to the U.S.S. Essex,” with particular focus on information regarding “any modifications to the flight deck.”

“Today’s conviction of the defendant for committing espionage—centered on the deliberate targeting and enticement of U.S. military personnel to betray their country—demonstrates the lengths to which the People’s Republic of China will go to undermine our country’s security,” Mark Dargis, special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office, said in a statement.

Wei is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 1.

The Epoch Times contacted Wei’s lawyer for comment but didn’t receive a response by publication time.

On the day that Wei was arrested, another U.S. Navy sailor, Zhao Wenheng, who was based out of Naval Base Ventura County in California, was also arrested. Zhao, also found guilty of selling military secrets to China, was sentenced to 27 months in prison in January 2024.