Another Chinese Engineer Convicted Of Economic Espionage
California (SANTA ANA) – Found guilty of economic spying for hoarding confidential documents that includes space shuttle details, a Chinese engineer, faces sentencing and prosecutors are looking for a twenty-year term on Monday. The hoarded sensitive documents having 300,000 pages contain fueling system for booster rocket.
Chung, 74 years old was found guilty in July of six federal counts of economic espionage and prosecutors have requested a 20-year sentence despite Chung’s age to send a message to other would-be spies.
Greg Staples, Assistant U.S Attorney, noted in sentencing paper that Chung has betrayed his adopted country and amassed personal wealth of more then $3 million.Staples further wrote that the China is vent on stealing sensitive information from United States without any signs of relenting and only strong sentences offer any hope in it.
Thomas Bienert Jr, Chung’s Attorney said that his client will appeal and did not return a call for comment.In 1996, Chung joined Boeing after working for Rockwell. He was laid off from the company in 2002 but started working as a consultant but a year he was brought back as a consultant. In 2006, when FBI began its investigation, he was fired.
According to trial briefs, agents discovered more than 225000 pages of documents on Boeing-developed aerospace and defense technologies when they searched Chung’s house that year.It dealt with sixteen million dollar fueling mechanism for booster rocket and an antenna being developed for a radar and communication on the U.S. space shuttle.
Although the government dropped charges related to C-17 globemaster troop transport, confidential documents related to it were found in the custody of Chung, used by U.S Air force and other militaries in Australia, Canada and Britain.
Chung activities were discovered during investigation of another suspected Chinese spy. This Chinese, Chi Mak working and living in Southern California who got convicted in 2007 and sentenced 24 years in prison for exporting U.S. defense technology to China.
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