On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that a federal jury had convicted a member of the country's military on multiple charges related to espionage for China.

A statement from the Department explained that the jury convicted "Jinchao Wei, also known as Patrick Wei, on Wednesday for espionage and violating export regulations."

It added that "after a five-day trial and one day of deliberations, the jury convicted Wei on six counts, including conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage, illegal export, and conspiracy to export technical data related to defense equipment in violation of the Arms Export Control Act and International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Wei is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1st."

In a statement included in the release, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers said, "The defendant, who swore an oath to protect our nation and obtained a security clearance as a petty officer in the U.S. Navy, sold out his country for $12,000."

Demers added, "He broke his oath, betrayed his uniform and fellow sailors, and abandoned the country that adopted him for money. This verdict serves as a warning to those who do not take seriously the grave obligations imposed by their positions or their duty to this nation. Do not be tempted by easy money—you will be prosecuted and imprisoned."

The Arms Export Control Act, which was violated, "prohibits individuals from knowingly exporting technical data related to defense materials without a license from the Department of State. The government presented evidence that Wei conspired with his Chinese handler to export specific technical information that required an export license."