Navy Sailor Pleads Guilty to Selling Secrets and Taking Bribes from China
TL;DR
A U.S. Navy service member, Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, pleaded guilty to conspiring with a Chinese intelligence officer and receiving bribes in exchange for transmitting sensitive U.S. military information. Zhao, who held a security clearance and worked at Naval Base Ventura County, admitted to collecting and transmitting non-public information regarding U.S. Navy operational security, military trainings, and critical infrastructure. He used encrypted communication methods and destroyed evidence to conceal his actions. Zhao faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service conducted the investigation.
Topics:nationnational-security#bribery#chinese-intelligence#national-security#sensitive-information#us-navy
- U.S. Navy Service Member Pleads Guilty to Transmitting Sensitive U.S. Military Information to Chinese Intelligence Officer Department of Justice
- Sailor stationed in Ventura County admits to selling secrets to China KTLA Los Angeles
- US Navy sailor pleads guilty to selling national security secrets to China New York Post
- US navy sailor pleads guilty to accepting $15,000 in bribes from China The Guardian US
- US Navy sailor admits taking bribe, sharing military data with China Reuters
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