US Navy Officer charged of Espionage for Alleged Providing of Classified Information to China

A US Navy officer is accused of being a spy, attempting to espionage by passing confidential information to China as well as patronizing prostitution. The officer took the preliminary military justice hearing on Friday, U.S. officials said.

Lt. Cmdr. Edward C. Lin, who was born as a Taiwanese national and became a naturalized U.S. citizen, was arrested to espionage, attempted espionage and prostitution charges, according to the Washington Post. The Navy officer's identity has been redacted on court charging documents, however, US officials revealed on Sunday mentioning the case as the most sensitive intelligence case in Navy.

Lin is currently assigned to Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Group, a maritime patrol and reconnaissance unit in Norfolk that provides airborne anti-submarine warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance using P-8A Poseidon aircraft, P-3 Orion aircraft and MQ-4C unmanned aircraft.

According to the redacted charging documents, the defendant provided highly confidential information of the country to China. He faces two specifications of espionage and three specifications of attempted espionage, by not disclosing about foreign travel to the U.S. government as required, USNI reported. Lin was also charge of patronizing prostitution and adultery, which were violations to the Military law.

The defendant and his family came to the United States when he was 14 and became a naturalized US citizen. He still speaks in fluent Mandarin and became a department head for the Hawaii-based Special Projects Patrol Squadron Two 'Wizards' (VPU-2) that flew EP3-E Aries II signals intelligence aircraft. The Article 32 hearing was held Friday in Norfolk to determine whether the case should proceed to a court martial, CBS News reported.

The FBI and NCIS are working together to investigate the case, on which is similar to the last known case of spy Navy officer around 1980. John Walker, a Navy warrant officer and submariner who for 18 years passed reams of military secrets to the Soviet Union.

Tags

US Navy, espionage, Lt. Cmdr. Edward C. Lin, classified information, China

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