California Man Accused of Plotting to Obtain US Nuclear Missile Sensor Blueprints

Dive into the alarming case of a California man accused of conspiring to acquire US nuclear missile launch sensor blueprints with ties to China. Explore the details of the investigation and its implications for national security. Stay vigilant against threats to sensitive technology and foreign espionage efforts.

The Justice Department said on Wednesday that a guy from California with connections to China had been taken into custody in relation to a scheme to steal the designs for nuclear missile launch sensors created for the US government.

Trade secrets on technology to track ballistic and hypersonic missiles and detect nuclear missile launches were among the files that Chenguang Gong allegedly stole. These trade secrets would be “dangerous to U.S. national security if obtained by international actors,” according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.

According to an affidavit submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Igor Neyman stated that two of the three storage devices that Gong allegedly copied files onto are still missing.

Attorney Martin Estrada for the United States claimed that Gong had previously tried to give China intelligence to support its military.

“We know that foreign actors, including the PRC (People’s Republic of China), are actively seeking to steal our technology, but we will remain vigilant against this threat by safeguarding the innovations of American businesses and researchers,” Estrada said.

The allegation of theft of trade secrets, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison, was brought against Gong, 57, of San Jose, on Tuesday.

FBI: Trade secrets still missing from two hard drives

According to Neyman’s affidavit, Gong started working at a Malibu, California-based company in January 2023 that develops technologies for the Department of Defense and other U.S. government contractors to track ballistic and hypersonic missiles and detect nuclear missile launches.

Gong is accused of moving more than 3,600 data, including ones containing trade secrets on military technology, from his work laptop to three personal storage devices between March and April of 2023.

“These files describe the methods, designs, techniques, processes, specifications, testing, and manufacture of these technologies. If obtained by competitors of the victim company, they would be extremely damaging economically, and if obtained by foreign actors, they could pose a threat to U.S. national security,” Neyman stated.

Gong accepted a position with a rival company at the beginning of April while he was still moving secret material, according to Neyman. Later that month, the business from which he was stealing files fired him after discovering a flash drive—one of three storage devices that Gong was purportedly using to transfer files illegally—according to the affidavit.

The FBI carried out a search warrant at Gong’s temporary home in Thousand Oaks, California, seven days after he began working for the rival company. Agents discovered company files on several of his devices, according to Neyman. The affidavit states that Gong has admitted to transferring some information to the previously discovered flash drive, but he has denied knowing about the two hard drives on which he allegedly transferred trade secrets. The two hard drives have not yet been identified.

Man worked for defense contractor, according to the indictment

The document claims that between 2014 and 2022, Gong reportedly filed many applications to “talent programs” run by the Chinese government. According to Neyman, China has set up talent programs to identify individuals outside of the nation who possess unique abilities and information that could strengthen the military and economy of the nation.

Neyman claimed that Gong worked for a number of significant American technology companies as well as one of the biggest defense contractors in the world during that time. Gong allegedly suggested ideas in applications to China’s programs that duplicated his work for American corporations and claimed to be beneficial to China’s military.

Donald Alway, assistant director in charge of the FBI Los Angeles field office, stated that “trade secret theft, especially of sensitive military technology, undermines our national security, erodes U.S. competitiveness in the global market, and harms the businesses and individuals who have invested time, resources, and creativity into developing innovative technologies.”

“Our actions today send a strong message that anyone willing to steal proprietary information from U.S. businesses will face consequences in the criminal justice system,” Al Always stated.

Conclusion

The case of Chenguang Gong highlights the persistent threat of foreign espionage and intellectual property theft targeting sensitive US technology. As the Justice Department takes action to combat such illicit activities, it reaffirms the need for robust safeguards to protect national security interests. Vigilance against espionage and trade secret theft remains paramount to preserving American innovation and competitiveness on the global stage.