Navy sailor sentenced for taking bribes from China

SAN DIEGO — A U.S. Navy sailor has been sentenced to just over two years in federal prison for transmitting sensitive U.S. military information to a Chinese intelligence officer.

Wenheng Zhao, who is also known as Thomas Zhao, of Monterey Park, was sentenced Monday to 27 months by a federal judge in Los Angeles. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of receiving a bribe in violation of his official duties. He was also fined $5,500.

His defense lawyer, Tarek Shawky, called Zhao “a dedicated serviceman with an exemplary service record before this incident.”

“He was the target of a sophisticated Chinese intelligence operation, and he made the mistake of sharing controlled, unclassified information with a foreign operative,” Shawky said. “He fully appreciates the severity of his actions and admitted guilt at an early stage of the proceedings.”

Zhao, who held a U.S. security government clearance and was based at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, collected nearly $15,000 in bribes in 14 different payments from a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for information, photos and videos of involving Navy exercises, operations and facilities between August 2021 through at least May 2023, prosecutors said.

The information included plans for a large-scale U.S. military exercise in the Indo-pacific region, which detailed the location and timing of naval force movements. The Chinese officer told Zhao the information was needed for maritime economic research to inform investment decisions, according to court documents. He also offered to pay Zhao bonuses for controlled and classified information, prosecutors said.