German court finds US man guilty of offering secrets to China

A US citizen was found guilty by a German court on Wednesday of planning to pass on sensitive US military information to China.

The 39-year-old man initially worked for the US Navy, before working for a civilian contractor at a US military base in Germany, according to the Koblenz Higher Regional Court.

The court found that he repeatedly contacted Chinese authorities in 2024 to offer sensitive US military information, sentencing him to two years and eight months in prison.

He was arrested on November 7, 2024, before any sensitive data was leaked, according to the judge.

The man's actions were motivated by a dispute with the US military, including over alleged billing fraud.

The defendant said he raised the issues both with his employer and the US authorities, but said he took things a step further when feeling he wasn't being heard.

Chinese authorities did not show particular interest in the information offered, according to the court.