The US announced charges Tuesday, May 16, in five instances involving alleged attempts to steal technology for the advantage of China, Iran, and Russia. Among those charged is a former Apple engineer suspected of acquiring the company's tech on autonomous systems, such as self-driving vehicles, before escaping to China.
According to Reuters, theft of trade secrets and other forms of tech was at the root of the cases presented during a Justice Department news conference. US officials said procurement networks were established in two of the instances to aid Russia's armed forces and intelligence agencies in acquiring classified materials.
Although the investigations into the five incidents started before the US "strike force" was set up in February, it was the first to be disclosed.
Justice Department National Security Division Chief Matt Olsen assured the media that the government would be vigilant in its enforcement of the law to prevent the transfer of critical technology to foreign enemies.
He added, "We are committed to doing all we can to prevent these advanced tools from falling into the hands of foreign adversaries," ABC News reported.
How Did the Ex-Apple Worker Get Caught?
An indictment from April was released on Tuesday, naming the former Apple engineer as 35-year-old Weibao Wang. He had previously lived in Mountain View, California, and had been employed by Apple in 2016.
According to the accusation, he waited around four months after accepting a position in the US with a Chinese firm working on developing autonomous vehicles in 2017 before alerting Apple of his resignation.
After his final day at Apple, the corporation found out he had viewed confidential information in the days leading up to his departure, the Justice Department claimed. In June 2018, federal authorities reportedly searched his residence and discovered "large quantities" of data from Apple.
The man in question was said to have left for China shortly after the search concluded.
Six charges of theft or attempted theft of trade secrets have been filed against Wang. For each count, he may spend up to 10 years in jail and pay a $250,000 fine. CNBC said that would only happen if authorities could deport Wang from China.
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Other Technology Smuggling and Theft Cases
US authorities also charged Rancho Cucamonga resident and 64-year-old Liming Li with stealing trade secrets from his California employers to start a competitive firm in China.
New York prosecutors have accused Nikolaos "Nikos" Bogonikolos, 49, from Greece, of smuggling military technology from the US to Russia while working as a defense contractor for NATO.
Russian citizens Oleg Sergeyevich Patsulya and Vasilii Sergeyevich Besedin were indicted in Arizona for using their Florida-based corporation to transport airplane components to Russian airlines while the Commerce Department froze their export rights.
In addition, New York authorities charged 39-year-old Xiangjiang Qiao, also known as Joe Hansen, with using a Chinese firm under American sanctions to provide Iran with components for making nuclear weapons.
