A U.S. Navy sailor was convicted Wednesday of charges that he sold military secrets, including details about military warships, to a Chinese intelligence officer while on active duty in exchange for payment.

Jinchao Wei, also known as Patrick Wei, who was an active-duty sailor stationed at Naval Base San Diego, was found guilty by a jury in federal court in San Diego of six counts. The charges on which he was convicted include conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage, and unlawful export of technical data about U.S. defense vehicles in exchange for $12,000.

Wei was a machinist's mate in the U.S.S. Essex, an amphibious assault ship, and held a security clearance that gave him access to sensitive national security defense information about the ship's operations and capabilities.

Federal

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