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2d ago

Engineer Pleads Guilty to Stealing U.S. Missile Detection Technology for China

The admission exposes how Chinese talent-recruitment programs can be used to acquire U.S. defense secrets.

A sign marks the location of the U.S. Department of Justice headquarters building on April 30, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Image
Representational image | Robert F. Kennedy Building in Washington DC, HQ of the US Dept of Justice | Wikimedia Commons
The national flag of the People's Republic of China flutters in the wind against a clear blue sky in front of the Chongqing People's Auditorium on June 16, 2025, in Chongqing, China.

Overview

  • Chenguang Gong, a dual U.S.-China citizen and former engineer at a Southern California R&D firm, pleaded guilty on July 21 to theft of trade secrets benefiting the Chinese government.
  • He admitted downloading more than 3,600 proprietary files from his employer’s systems to three personal storage devices between March and April 2023.
  • The stolen blueprints covered infrared sensor designs for space-based nuclear missile warning systems and aircraft countermeasures against heat-seeking missiles.
  • Federal filings show Gong applied to Chinese government “Talent Programs” from 2014 to 2022 to pitch advanced military technology projects.
  • Sentencing is set for September 29, when Gong faces up to 10 years in prison and an estimated $3.5 million in intended economic loss.