A former engineer from Santa Clara County, Chenguang Gong, has pleaded guilty to stealing trade secret technologies designed for missile launch detection. Gong, 59, of San Jose, admitted to transferring over 3,600 files from a Los Angeles-area research and development company to personal storage devices during his brief tenure with the company last year. The files included blueprints for infrared sensors used in space-based systems and military aircraft.
Gong was hired in January 2023 as an application-specific integrated circuit design manager. He transferred thousands of files from his work laptop to personal storage devices until his termination on April 26, 2023. Many of these files contained proprietary information crucial to the company’s operations.
Law enforcement discovered that between 2014 and 2022, Gong applied to several ‘Talent Programs’ administered by the Chinese government. These programs aim to leverage expert skills and knowledge in advanced sciences for economic transformation in China.
Gong also traveled to China seeking funding for developing sophisticated converters with military applications. His plea agreement indicates an intended economic loss exceeding $3.5 million.
United States District Judge John F. Walter has scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 29, where Gong faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office is investigating this case alongside other agencies including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorneys David C. Lachman and Nisha Chandran are prosecuting the case with assistance from Department of Justice Trial Attorney Brendan P. Geary.
This case underscores HSI’s role in counterintelligence efforts against insider threats at U.S. technology companies.
