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Sailor from LA County sentenced to prison in secrets case involving Chinese intelligence
LA County Jan 08, 2024
Wenheng Zhao participates in a military exercise in 2019 at Fort Hunter Liggett near Jolon, California. | Photo courtesy of Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Lopez/U.S. Navy
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A U.S. Navy sailor from Monterey Park was sentenced Monday to 27 months in prison for taking cash bribes in exchange for sending sensitive military information to a Chinese intelligence officer.
Naval Petty Officer Wenheng “Thomas” Zhao, 26, was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release after he is released from prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Zhao pleaded guilty in October to one count of conspiring with the intelligence officer and one count of receiving a bribe.
Zhao, who worked at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme and had a U.S. security clearance, admitted he engaged in a scheme to collect and transmit sensitive U.S. military information to the Chinese intelligence officer in violation of his official duties.
Papers filed in Los Angeles federal court show that, beginning in August 2021 and continuing through at least May 2023, Zhao pocketed nearly $15,000 from more than a dozen bribes. In exchange for the illicit payments, Zhao surreptitiously collected and transmitted to the intelligence officer sensitive, non-public information regarding U.S. Navy operational security, military training and exercises, and critical infrastructure.
Zhao admitted he entered restricted military and naval installations to collect and record the information.
In exchange for bribes, Zhao sent the intelligence officer operational plans for a large-scale U.S. military exercise in the Indo-Pacific Region, detailing the specific location and timing of naval movements, amphibious landings, maritime operations and logistics support, according to the indictment.
He also admitted photographing electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system stationed on a U.S. military base in Okinawa, Japan.
“The intelligence services of the People’s Republic of China actively target clearance holders across the military, seeking to entice them with money to provide sensitive government information,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matt Olsen said in a statement after Zhao’s guilty plea.
“When contacted by his co-conspirator, rather than reporting it to the Navy, the defendant chose greed over protecting the national security of the United States. He is now being held accountable for his crimes. To others tempted to put personal profit ahead of patriotic duty, know that we are committed to identifying you and bringing you to justice.”
Prosecutors said Zhao also obtained and transmitted details about the Navy’s operational security at the Naval Base in Ventura County and on San Clemente Island, including photographs and videos.
The intelligence officer directed Zhao to conceal their relationship and to destroy evidence of the scheme, according to the DOJ.
A second sailor based in San Diego was also arrested in August on similar charges, but it’s unclear if the cases are related or if the two seamen allegedly were in contact with the same Chinese officials.
