E-Paper
Who is Chenguang Gong? China-born engineer pleads guilty to stealing US defense secrets
Chenguang Gong, a dual citizen of the US and China, is accused of transferring over 3,600 sensitive files from his former employer to personal storage devices.
Chenguang Gong, a former engineer at a Southern California-based company, has pleaded guilty for stealing highly sensitive trade secret technologies related to national security, according to an official press release by the US Department of Justice. The 59-year-old, who is a dual citizen of the United States and China, allegedly stole technologies specifically designed to detect nuclear missile launches, track ballistic and hypersonic threats. Gong pleaded guilty in the Los Angeles-based federal court on Monday, July 21.
Who is Chenguang Gong?
The accused transferred over 3,600 files from his former employer to personal storage devices during his brief tenure at the Los Angeles-area research and development company last year. Gong, who pleaded guilty to one count of theft of trade secrets, remains free on $1.75 million bond.
According to the official statement from the US Department of Justice, the files that Gong transferred included blueprints for advanced infrared sensors used in space-based missile warning systems and sensors designed to enable US military aircraft to detect and evade heat-seeking missiles. A few of these files were later discovered on storage devices at Gong's temporary residence in Thousand Oaks.
These included documents, which have been marked as "PROPRIETARY," "EXPORT CONTROLLED," and "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY," the statement said. The company hired Gong as its circuit design manager in January 2023, but he was terminated on April 26, 2023.
According to court filings, Gong used his work laptop to transfer thousands of files to three personal storage devices even as he accepted a job offer at one of the company's key competitors.
Gong is also linked to multiple applications submitted to 'Talent Programs'. Officials in the US have stated that these were designed to recruit overseas experts to transfer technology.
The People’s Republic of China is believed to have established such talent programs to identify individuals who have expert skills, abilities and knowledge of advanced sciences.
FAQs:
1. What happens next with Chenguang Gong?
Gong is facing a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail, and the sentencing hearing is on September 29.
2. How much loss did the US face due to Chenguang Gong?
As per the plea agreement, the intended economic loss from his criminal conduct is well over $3.5 million.
3. Where is Chenguang Gong now?
He continues to remain free on a $1.75 million bond.
