New Delhi, Jan. 13 -- The US Department of Justice on January 12 announced that Jinchao Wei, a former US Navy sailor, has been sentenced to 200 months (nearly 17 years) in federal prison for espionage after selling sensitive military information to a Chinese intelligence officer.

Wei, 25, also known as Patrick Wei, was convicted by a federal jury in August 2025 following a five-day trial. He was arrested in August 2023 as he arrived for work aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex at Naval Base San Diego, home to the US Pacific Fleet.

According to prosecutors, Wei knowingly sold US national defence information to an intelligence officer working for the People's Republic of China in exchange for about $12,000.

The information inclu...