Stolen Information Aimed at Chinese Tech Talent Program
A Silicon Valley engineer has come forward to admit his guilt in a massive theft of trade secrets that includes sensitive military technology worth potentially hundreds of millions of dollars.
San Jose resident Chenguang Gong, who holds dual citizenship in China and the US and is 59 years old, confessed to downloading more than 3,600 documents from two electronic manufacturers and saving them on his personal drives. The information snagged includes details about sensors that can jam infrared-seeking missiles and the radiation-proof cameras that the US deploys in space to monitor missile launches and follow hypersonic vehicles.
According to testimony from FBI Agent Igor Neyman during a February hearing, “From March 30 to April 25, 2023, Gong transferred a staggering 3,600 files from his work laptop to three personal storage devices such as a Verbatim flash drive and two Western Digital external hard drives.”
Additional details revealed how Gong moved over 1,800 of those files to his Verbatim drive after officially accepting a new job, aimed at a tech company competing in infrared sensors. Shortly afterward, he further migrated these documents to his personal computer and back-up devices.
The investigation pinpointed Gong’s theft starting immediately after he relocated from China to the US. He admitted to taking crucial data from his employers, hinting at his long-standing intentions.
Having come to the US in 1993, Gong pursued electrical engineering degrees at Clemson University and even undertook some doctoral studies at Stanford University. By 2011, he obtained US citizenship and subsequently worked designing integrated circuits in a tech firm located in Santa Clara.
His tenure there ended in 2014 when Gong transitioned as a CMOS image sensor design manager for a military contractor in San Jose. Not long after, he began applying to tech talent programs facilitated by China, a scheme launched in the 1990s that provides hefty incentives to overseas Chinese professionals in exchange for sharing technology.
The financial offerings are significantly attractive—Neyman mentioned that talented candidates can pocket a $150,000 signing bonus plus potentially receive up to $750,000 to back their future research projects.
Throughout 2014 to 2022, Gong submitted numerous applications complete with pitches matching the areas he worked in while in the US. Notably, in 2020, he made it to the semifinals of a talent competition, earning around $2,800 for a proposal on developing night vision technology, complete with hardware imagery from his employer.
However, a shift in employment on January 30, 2023, put Gong in an ASIC designer’s lab, where he quickly took a leave under the pretense of caring for ailing parents in China—though he never actually departed from the country.
Returning to work in March, almost immediately he commenced downloading thousands of files, including circuit schematics designed for missile tracking. After resigning on March 20, Gong cited not performing well and advised the company to hire a more competent replacement, according to Neyman.
The distressed company later calculated that the value of its organized Trade Secret Information was staggering, potentially compromising US national security if it were to be accessed by foreign entities.
In April, Gong transitioned to a direct competitor, yet the IT security team from his last employer reviewed his earlier activities and got the FBI involved. Subsequent surveillance led to search warrants, unveiling not only the stolen files but other actionable evidence against him.
Gong was apprehended and charged in February, and after pleading guilty on Monday, he faces a possible 10-year prison sentence.
