Chinese student goes to prison for photographing Key West Naval Air Station

KEY WEST, Fla. — A Chinese student has been sentenced to a year in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally taking photos of a U.S. military installation in the Florida Keys.

A federal judge imposed the sentence Tuesday on 20-year-old Zhao Qianli.

Authorities say he took photos in September of sensitive areas of the Key West Naval Air Station after walking around a fence into a well-marked restricted zone.

RELATED

LinkedIn goes to war against Chinese spies

LinkedIn said earlier in August it found accounts were being misused to connect with LinkedIn members who work at political organizations.

Zhao’s attorney insisted he was merely a tourist who got lost and wandered onto the base. But investigators say he had only base photos on his cellphone and camera, and none of familiar tourist locations in Key West.

Zhao was in the U.S. to study musicology as part of a summer exchange program from North University of China.

More In Your Navy

Pentagon ends blocking of abortion-related sites on computer networks

The Pentagon lifted a longstanding ban that prevented troops and civilians from searching for abortion-related term last month.

Judges hear appeal to reinstate charges against corpsman in MARSOC manslaughter case

Judges should deliver their decision in the coming weeks.

New details emerge about the 2020 Bonhomme Richard fire, ahead of censure of three-star

Retired Vice Adm. Rich Brown was named accountable for the loss of the amphibious ship Bonhomme Richard but was ultimately cleared of wrongdoing in December. Six months later, he's facing censure from the Navy secretary.

Distrust remains after Navy report on tainted Hawaii water

About 6,000 Navy, Army and Air Force families were affected by the toxic spill. Their trust in the military remains low.

Multiple errors led to fuel leak in Pearl Harbor water, Navy says

Some 6,000 people, including Navy, Army and Air Force families, suffered nausea, headaches, rashes and other symptoms.

In Other News

How volunteers can help defeat great powers

"It was clear from the onset and confirmed throughout our visit that volunteers played a critical role in the defense of Kyiv, yet their role has not been systematically studied."

High cost of Russian gains in Ukraine may limit new advance

Putin has declared victory in the eastern Ukraine region of Luhansk, but the high cost of Russian gains may limit a new advance.

WW2 Medal of Honor recipient to lie in honor at US Capitol

The last remaining Medal of Honor recipient from World War II will lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol.

North Korea slams US-South Korea-Japan military cooperation

Sunday’s statement comes as North Korea’s neighbors say the country is ready for its first nuclear test in five years

Chris Pratt picks military veterans for ‘The Terminal List’

The team hired real special ops members to appear in a major combat scene and also employed former troops behind-the-scenes in a variety of roles.

Load More