Overview

• Pflugbeil stole proprietary technology from a U.S. electric vehicle company to benefit his China-based business.
• The espionage involved trade secrets from a Canadian manufacturer acquired by the U.S. company in 2019.
• Co-conspirator Yilong Shao remains at large, while Pflugbeil awaits sentencing in October.
• Undercover FBI agents exposed the conspiracy at a Las Vegas trade show in 2023.
• The stolen technology provided a substantial competitive advantage in battery manufacturing.