The U.S. Department of Justice announced that it has released five cases in which it was caught stealing major U.S. technology to China, Russia and Iran and arrested four people involved.Wang Wei-bao, a former Apple engineer with Chinese nationality, was indicted in Northern California in 2017 on charges of stealing thousands of documents containing source code for software and hardware related to Apple’s autonomous vehicle technology, according to the Justice Department.He has worked as an Apple Engineer since March 2016, and was also trained on regulations prohibiting the transfer of company confidential data and intellectual property at the time of recruitment. The following year, he quit the company immediately after being hired by a subsidiary of China’s self-driving car development company “Company One” in the United States, and fled to China with stolen documents. The Ministry of Justice estimated that he is currently working for a Chinese self-driving car company.
Apple confirmed that Wang had accessed a huge amount of sensitive confidential information in the days before leaving Apple, and left for China on the day of authorities’ raid on his U.S. home.
Prosecutors in New York also indicted another Chinese man, Chao, on charges of participating in a plan to use Chinese companies subject to sanctions to provide Iran with substances used to produce WMDs. He is also currently staying in China. Chao helped Iran supply isostatic graphite, a compound used in the manufacture of rocket nozzles and re-entry vehicle nose tips for intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Justice Ministry said. He also opened an account at a U.S. bank in the name of a ghost company to hide the identity of the Chinese company he worked for. Prosecutors in Central California also arrested Chinese Li Ming-li on the 5th on charges of stealing source code used in “smart” software, an automatic manufacturing equipment.
Prosecutors in New York also indicted a Greek national on charges of stealing more than 10 different sensitive technologies for the Russian government, the Justice Department said.In addition, the Ministry of Justice explained, “Two Russian nationals were also arrested in Arizona this month in connection with a procurement plan to provide export control parts such as braking technology to multiple Russian private airlines that are prohibited from participating in certain types of commercial transactions.”The announcement of the Ministry of Justice is the first result of the U.S. government’s recent formation of a response team named “Innovative Technology Strike Team” aimed at stealing high-tech technologies in China and other countries.”The indictment shows a willingness to block sensitive technology from falling into the hands of foreign enemies such as Russia, China, and Iran,” said Matthew Olsen, deputy attorney general of the Justice Department.
Chang Young Choi
US ASIA JOURNAL
