Chinese man living in NY convicted of espionage involving U.S. defense research

A Chinese man living in New York has been convicted of economic espionage and theft of trade secrets for stealing sensitive technology developed under a U.S. defense contract, according to the Justice Department.

Prosecutors said Ji Wang, 63, of Painted Post, New York, stole research files from his employer, Corning Incorporated, and attempted to use the information for personal gain while working with entities tied to the Chinese government.

According to court documents cited by the Justice Department, Wang worked on a joint research project between Corning and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) from 2002 to 2007. The $11.4 million program sought to develop high-powered laser optical fibers for use in advanced weapon systems, including technologies capable of shooting down drones and missiles.

Investigators said that on or about July 1, 2016, Wang stole hundreds of confidential files from the DARPA project, including trade-secret manufacturing data. The material would have allowed him to reproduce the technology independently.

Ten days earlier, Wang had applied for China’s Thousand Talents Plan, a government program offering financial incentives to scientists working abroad who returned to China. Two months later, he was selected to receive the award.

The Justice Department said Wang negotiated with Chinese government entities between 2014 and 2017 to create a specialty fiber business in China using the stolen technology. His business proposals described potential military uses for the fibers, including installation on tanks, and claimed the innovation “could be key to deciding victory or defeat.”

“Mr. Wang stole sensitive technology that Corning, Inc. and DARPA spent millions of dollars developing so he could line his own pockets and help our adversaries undermine U.S. national security,” said FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky.

Wang was convicted of two counts of economic espionage, one count of theft of trade secrets, one count of attempted economic espionage, and one count of attempted theft of trade secrets. He faces up to 15 years in prison for economic espionage and up to 10 years for theft of trade secrets. Sentencing is scheduled for April 15, 2026.