Who is Wenheng Zhao? US Navy official pleads guilty to selling sensitive information to China
MONTEREY PARK, CALIFORNIA: Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao of the US Navy admitted to accepting bribes from a Chinese spy in exchange for transmitting sensitive US military information to them.
The 26-year-old from Monterey Park, California, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring with the intelligence officer and one count of receiving a bribe. According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, both count as felony offenses.
US Attorney Martin Estrada stated, "Officer Zhao betrayed his country and the men and women of the US Navy by accepting bribes from a foreign adversary. While he and the PRC officer he served took great pains to conceal their corrupt scheme, investigators were vigilant in uncovering this shameful plot.”
“Today’s resolution, requiring Zhao to plead guilty to all charges against him, shows that we will act swiftly and decisively to protect our nation from those who seek to undermine our security,” he added.
What has Wenheng Zhao admitted to?
Zhao used to work at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme. Between August 2021 and May 2023, he admitted to receiving nearly $15,000 in bribes from a Chinese intelligence officer.
According to the Justice Department, Zhao held a security clearance, and secretly collected and transmitted information to China related to Navy operational security, military training, and critical infrastructure.
In his confessions, Zhao clearly admitted to sharing plans for a large-scale maritime training exercise in the Pacific theatre, operational orders, and electrical diagrams and blueprints for a Japanese radar system.
Wenheng Zhao faces up to 20 years in federal prison
The sentencing of Zhao is scheduled on January 8, 2024.
Matthew G Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, said, "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. 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,” he added.
Another US Navy sailor, Jinchao Wei, 22, was arrested at the same time as Zoa for a separate allegation of spying for China.