A US citizen was found guilty today by a German court of planning to give sensitive US military information to China.

The 39-year-old man originally worked for the U.S. Navy before working for a civilian contractor at a U.S. military base in Germany, according to the Superior District Court in Koblenz.

The court found that the man had repeatedly contacted Chinese authorities in 2024 to provide sensitive U.S. military information, sentencing him to two years and eight months in prison.

He was arrested on November 7, 2024, before there was a leak of sensitive data, according to the judge.

His actions were motivated by a dispute with the U.S. military, including over alleged billing fraud.

The defendant said he had reported these issues to his employer and U.S. authorities, but said he took things a step further when he felt he was not being heard.

Chinese authorities showed little interest in the information he offered, according to the court.