The US announced charges on May 16 in five instances of alleged technology theft benefiting China, Iran, and Russia.
One of the individuals facing charges is a former Apple engineer who is suspected of obtaining the company’s autonomous systems technology, including self-driving vehicles, and fleeing to China.
Cases Involve Theft of Trade Secrets and Technology
During a news conference held by the Justice Department, it was revealed that the cases presented involved theft of trade secrets and other forms of technology. US officials disclosed that procurement networks were established in two instances to assist Russia’s armed forces and intelligence agencies in acquiring classified materials.
Although the investigations into these five incidents began prior to the establishment of the US strike force in February, this was the first instance to be publicly disclosed.
Matt Olsen, the Chief of the Justice Department National Security Division, assured the media that the government would be diligent in enforcing the law to prevent the transfer of critical technology to foreign adversaries.
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Former Apple Engineer Indicted
On Tuesday, an indictment from April was made public, identifying the former Apple engineer as Weibao Wang, a 35-year-old individual who previously resided in Mountain View, California, and worked for Apple in 2016.
Wang waited approximately four months after accepting a position with a Chinese company involved in autonomous vehicle development in the US before notifying Apple of his resignation.
According to the Justice Department, after Wang’s final day at Apple, the company discovered that he had accessed confidential information in the days leading up to his departure. In June 2018, federal authorities reportedly searched his residence and found a substantial amount of data from Apple.
Following the conclusion of the search, the individual in question is said to have promptly left for China.
Wang is now facing six charges related to theft or attempted theft of trade secrets. If convicted on each count, he could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. However, it is uncertain whether Wang can be extradited from China for prosecution.
US authorities have also charged Liming Li, a 64-year-old resident of Rancho Cucamonga, with stealing trade secrets from his employers in California to establish a competing company in China.
Also, while working as a defense contractor for NATO, Greek national Nikolaos “Nikos” Bogonikolos, 49, is charged by New York authorities with transporting military technology from the US to Russia.
Meanwhile, despite having their export rights restricted by the Commerce Department, Russian nationals Oleg Sergeyevich Patsulya and Vasilii Sergeyevich Besedin were indicted in Arizona for using their Florida-based firm to ship airplane parts to Russian airlines.
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