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Chinese-origin US Navy officer jailed for selling military secrets to China(www.independent.co.uk)

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MicroWave@lemmy.world
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Wenheng Zhao pleads guilty to transmitting secret files to Chinese spy

A US Navy officer has been sentenced to two years in jail for providing sensitive military information to a Chinese intelligence officer, the US Justice Department said.

Wenheng Zhao, 26, of Monterey Park, California, received at least $14,866 in bribe in exchange for secret military information from the Chinese intelligence officer during his service at the Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme.

He pleaded guilty on October 2023 for one count of “conspiring with the intelligence officer and one count of receiving a bribe”.

Zhao was sentenced to 27 months in prison on Monday and fined $5,500.

Zhao passed sensitive information, including plans for a large-scale maritime training exercise in the Indo-Pacific theatre, operational orders and electrical diagrams and blueprints for ground and air radar systems in Okinawa, Japan among several other documents.

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Melody Fwygon@lemmy.one
23 points

just two years? just $5500? Whatever happened to gitmo?

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dan_linder@lemmy.world
15 points

Wenheng Zhao […] received at least $14,866 in bribe in exchange for secret military information […]

But a fine of only $5,500? It’s apparently profitable to be a BAD spy, too

My opinion: the fine should be AT LEAST 2x (if not 10x) what the bribes were. And not dismissible in bankruptcy.

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BlackAura@lemmy.world
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In a lot of cases the fine is punitive in addition to having to relinquish any earnings from bribes/blackmail/theft/etc. But this article doesn’t touch on or mention that.

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Potatisen@lemmy.world
4 points

Isn’t China the new sponsors of American politicians? Of course they’re gonna be more lenient.

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JustUseMint@lemmy.world
12 points

Thanks for making the life’s of other Chinese US service members hell, asshole. They will absolutely receive direct and indirect prejudice for this, and it will affect well deserved promotions.

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cheese_greater@lemmy.world
3 points

Fool us twice 🥢

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