A US Navy petty officer, Wenheng Zhao, has been sentenced to over 2 years in prison for spying for China, receiving $15,000 in exchange for military exercise plans and radar blueprints.
Zhao, stationed in California, pleaded guilty to conspiring with an intelligence officer and taking a bribe.
He communicated with the Chinese intelligence officer using encrypted messaging. (Trending: Joe Biden Sets New Presidential Record)
A member of the U.S. Navy, Wenheng Zhao, 26, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for accepting bribe money in exchange for transmitting sensitive U.S. military information to a Chinese intelligence officer. @RealNCIS @usao_losangeles @irs_ci https://t.co/eKvOFId9A5 pic.twitter.com/08gvwGStNR
— FBI Los Angeles (@FBILosAngeles) January 9, 2024
Larissa Knapp, executive assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Security Branch, said, “Zhao chose to betray the oath he took to our country and put others at risk by providing sensitive US information to a PRC intelligence official.”
Another sailor, Jinchao Wei, was arrested on similar charges for passing information to a Chinese spy.
Wei pleaded not guilty and was allegedly encouraged by his mother to spy for the Chinese Communist Party.
Summary in points:
US Navy sailor Wenheng "Thomas" Zhao sentenced to 27 months in jail for sharing military data with China.
He received nearly $15,000 in bribes from a Chinese intelligence officer for photos of unclassified private information. pic.twitter.com/Z8ea7CuLNt
— DIBOLA (@MA_Dibola) January 9, 2024
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