Service member sentenced to prison for sending info to PRC

[snake020]

U.S. Navy Sailor Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Transmitting Sensitive U.S. Military Information to Chinese Intelligence

A U.S. Navy service member was sentenced today to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay a $5,500 fine for transmitting sensitive U.S. military information to an intelligence officer from the People’s Republic of China in exchange for bribery payments.

www.justice.gov

Curious why he was prosecuted by DOJ and not in a court martial? There's nothing to indicate that he's a former service member, so it seems he's still active?

 

[MIDNJAC]

U.S. Navy Sailor Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Transmitting Sensitive U.S. Military Information to Chinese Intelligence

A U.S. Navy service member was sentenced today to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay a $5,500 fine for transmitting sensitive U.S. military information to an intelligence officer from the People’s Republic of China in exchange for bribery payments.

www.justice.gov

Curious why he was prosecuted by DOJ and not in a court martial? There's nothing to indicate that he's a former service member, so it seems he's still active?

Is this perhaps a crime that is referred for prosecution outside UCMJ channels?

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

U.S. Navy Sailor Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Transmitting Sensitive U.S. Military Information to Chinese Intelligence

A U.S. Navy service member was sentenced today to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay a $5,500 fine for transmitting sensitive U.S. military information to an intelligence officer from the People’s Republic of China in exchange for bribery payments.

www.justice.gov

Curious why he was prosecuted by DOJ and not in a court martial? There's nothing to indicate that he's a former service member, so it seems he's still active?

There are many crimes that are pursued and punished in outside courts.

 

[Flash]

Curious why he was prosecuted by DOJ and not in a court martial? There's nothing to indicate that he's a former service member, so it seems he's still active?

There are many crimes that are pursued and punished in outside courts.

The DoJ is much more experienced in dealing with espionage cases, from what I know experienced prosecutors try the cases and are apparently quite stark when dealing with the accused (either cooperate or we'll screw you over even worse than you are now). Most of the Fat Leonard cases were also prosecuted in federal court instead of courts-martial for the same reasons. Given the recent track record of some high profile Navy courts-martial I think it is a wise choice.

 

[number9]

27 months seems to be an impossibly light sentence. What am I missing here?

 

[Flash]

27 months seems to be an impossibly light sentence. What am I missing here?

He could be cooperating, it could be challenge to present the evidence against him in court (classification, sourcing) and the info he passed may be less damaging.

 

[Spekkio]

U.S. Navy Sailor Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Transmitting Sensitive U.S. Military Information to Chinese Intelligence

A U.S. Navy service member was sentenced today to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay a $5,500 fine for transmitting sensitive U.S. military information to an intelligence officer from the People’s Republic of China in exchange for bribery payments.

www.justice.gov

Curious why he was prosecuted by DOJ and not in a court martial? There's nothing to indicate that he's a former service member, so it seems he's still active?

Most CMCAs will gladly defer to civilian justice because a GCM is a huge time suck on a lot of line officers' day jobs.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Yeah I mean the FBI quite literally has a CI department, and I'd imagine there are federal prosecutors who are equally well-versed in these types of cases.