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The original was posted on /r/worldnews by /u/Silly-avocatoe on 2024-01-09 08:08:07.
A US Navy sailor handed over military secrets to China for just $15,000, prosecutors say
Submitted 2 years ago by bot@lemmit.online [bot] to worldnews@lemmit.online
https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-sailor-wenheng-zhao-thomas-secrets-15000-china-2024-1
autotldr@lemmings.world [bot] 2 years ago
This is the best summary I could come up with:
A US Navy sailor has been fined $5,500 and sentenced to 27 months in prison for leaking military secrets to Chinese intelligence, federal prosecutors said on Monday.
Zhao, also known by the English name Thomas, was stationed at a naval base in Port Hueneme, a small beach city in Ventura County, California.
In return, he sent his Chinese contact confidential plans for a large military exercise in the Indo-Pacific, as well as blueprints and diagrams for a radar system deployed in Okinawa, Japan, officials said.
Prosecutors said Zhao would talk with the Chinese intelligence officer using encrypted messaging, and accused him of destroying evidence and trying to hide his communications with his handler.
“Zhao chose to betray the oath he took to our country and put others at risk by providing sensitive US information to a PRC intelligence official,” said Larissa Knapp, executive assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Security Branch.
Wei, 22, was working as a machinist’s mate on board the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship based out of San Diego, per prosecutors.
The original article contains 368 words, the summary contains 178 words. Saved 52%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!