San Jose ex-engineer gets nearly 4 years in prison for stealing missile defense secrets - Local News Matters

Chenguang Gong, a 59-year-old engineer from San Jose, received a 46-month federal prison sentence for stealing trade secrets tied to U. S. missile-tracking technology. Federal prosecutors stated that Gong transferred over 3,600 files from a defense contractor in Los Angeles, including vital blueprints for infrared sensors used in missile detection. He continued to copy files even after accepting a job at one of the victim company's main competitors.

In addition to his prison sentence, Gong was ordered to pay $77,408 in restitution and fined $100,000 for his crimes. His activities connected him to Chinese government-run Talent Programs that recruit experts for military technology transfer, raising national security concerns. Court documents revealed Gong’s previous proposals to develop advanced military technologies for China. Prosecutors emphasized that Gong's systematic theft of trade secrets represents a long-standing pattern of espionage benefiting the People's Republic of China. The victim company's name remains undisclosed.