BEIJING -- Two men were sentenced on Friday for profiting financially from the spreading of rumors online, confirmed local authorities.

Wu Jun, formerly a video editor for China's portal website Sina.com, and Zhao Yuke, corporate representative from Tongke Chuangshi Culture and Media Co Ltd, were handed jail terms of 18 and 16 months respectively by the People's Court of Chaoyang District in Beijing.

The court heard that Wu received 50,100 yuan ($8,179) from Erma Co and its subsidiary between November 2010 and August 2013, in return for helping them to upload and spread videos on Sina.com.

Wu's family returned the money after his arrest.

Zhao was found to have taken more than 70,000 yuan from Erma for deleting posts between October 2010 and August 2013. He was also fined 10,000 yuan.

Both men agreed not to appeal the sentencing.

The case drew attention in China after Yang Xiuyu, a rumormonger who used the screen name "Lierchaisi", stood trial in August.

Yang, 41, founder of Erma Co, was accused of posting fabricated information online to lure followers and earn money. Erma made more than 530,000 yuan between 2008 and 2013 by posting false information and deleting critical posts.

Yang's former employee Qin Zhihui, known as "Qinhuohuo" online, confessed to spreading rumors about Chinese celebrities and the government during his trial in April.

Qin was the first person to appear on rumormongering charges since the Ministry of Public Security decided to target those who spread online rumors last August.