A US Navy soldier admitted Tuesday to having accepted bribes from a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for transmitting sensitive US military information to the communist power.
Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, 26, of Monterey Park, California, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy with intelligence officer and one count of receiving a bribe, both felonies, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. .
“Officer Zhao betrayed his country and the men and women of the United States Navy by accepting bribes from a foreign adversary,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said Tuesday. “While he and the PRC officer he served under went to great lengths to conceal his corrupt scheme, investigators were vigilant in uncovering this disgraceful plot.”
“Today’s resolution, which requires Zhao to plead guilty to all charges against him, shows that we will act quickly and decisively to protect our nation from those who seek to undermine our security.”
Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the charges. PO 2nd Class Michael Lopez/U.S. Navy Photo
Zhao admitted to receiving nearly $15,000 in bribes from the Chinese intelligence officer between August 2021 and May 2023, when he worked at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, California.
Zhao, who had a security clearance, secretly collected and transmitted information to China related to Navy operational security, military training and critical infrastructure, according to the Justice Department.
He specifically confessed to transmitting plans for a large-scale maritime training exercise in the Pacific theater, operational orders, and electrical diagrams and plans for a Japanese radar system.
Zhao admitted to receiving nearly $15,000 in bribes from a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for sharing American military secrets. US Navy
“The intelligence services of the People’s Republic of China actively target clearance holders throughout the military, attempting to lure them with money into providing sensitive government information,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “When he was contacted by his accomplice, instead of reporting him to the Navy, the defendant chose greed over protecting the national security of the United States.”
“He must now be held accountable for his crimes. For those who are tempted to put personal gain before patriotic duty, know that we are committed to identifying you and bringing you to justice,” Olsen added.
Zhao is scheduled to be sentenced on January 8, 2024. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Federal prosecutors announced Zhao’s arrest in August, at the same time that a second Navy sailor, Jinchao Wei, 22, was detained for a separate alleged plot to pass sensitive security information to Chinese officials.
Wei, who served aboard the San Diego-based USS Essex, was arrested on espionage charges after he allegedly provided China with detailed information about the ship and its crew.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn