Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, a 26-year-old US Navy serviceman, has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for accepting bribes from a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for sensitive US military information the Department of Justice announced.

The Justice Department had sought a 37-month sentence, accusing Zhao of obstructing the government’s investigation. Zhao pleaded guilty in October to conspiring with a Chinese intelligence officer and receiving bribes between August 2021 and May 2023, totaling nearly $15,000.

Working at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, California, Zhao, who held a security clearance, clandestinely transmitted information to China encompassing Navy operational security, military trainings, and critical infrastructure. Specific disclosures included plans for a large-scale maritime training exercise in the Pacific theater, operational orders, and electrical diagrams and blueprints for a Japanese radar system.

US Attorney Martin Estrada condemned Zhao for betraying his country and the Navy, emphasizing the efforts made to uncover the corruption. Zhao, a naturalized US citizen born in China, had been held without bail since his arrest in July. Despite Zhao’s attorney requesting a 12-month sentence, he was handed a 27-month prison term by US District Judge R. Gary Klausner, the New York Post reports.

The case parallels another arrest announced simultaneously, involving a second Navy sailor, 22-year-old Jinchao Wei. Wei, serving on the San Diego-based USS Essex, was taken into custody for a separate alleged plot to provide sensitive security information to Chinese officials, facing espionage charges for divulging detailed information about the ship and its crew.