1 of 2 U.S. Navy sailors indicted on espionage charges may have ties to Delavan, Wisconsin
DELAVAN, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A federal grand jury in San Diego has indicted two U.S. Navy sailors for acting as spies for China, in exchange for thousands of dollars.
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Twenty-two-year-old Jinchao Wei, or Patrick Wei, and 26-year-old Wenheng Zhao, or Thomas Zhao, were arrested earlier this week in California where they are both currently based.
Both are facing separate charges, and it remains unclear whether they were in touch with the same Chinese intelligence officer.
The indictment, which was revealed Thursday, said the two sent China "sensitive military information" on the U.S. Navy, its ships, and its service members.
Wei, who was assigned to the San Diego-based USS Essex, had allegedly sent information from February 2022 to as recently as this week.
“The 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," government officials said, during a press conference on Aug. 3. “Wei provided China with photographs of military hardware including guns, vehicles, and planes. He delivered information about US Marines involved in an upcoming international maritime warfare exercise and he sold scores of technical and mechanical manuals related to the operation and power structures of amphibious assault ships.”
The Associated Press reported Wei had made between $10,000 to $15,000 dollars over the last year from the arrangement with China.
According to Wei's Facebook page, he had links to Delavan Darien High School, where he may have graduated in 2019.
An online yearbook photo found by CBS 58 also showed Wei and his graduating class.
Wei even received a student achiever award during his senior year of high school, that awarded him with a certificate and two complimentary Brewers tickets.
“The alleged conduct also represents a violation of a solemn obligation of members of our military to defend our country, to safeguard our secrets, and to protect their fellow service members," officials said in the conference.
Both men pleaded not guilty in federal court.
Their detention hearings are planned for Aug. 8.
If convicted, Wei could face up to life in federal prison while Zhao could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.