Engineer Sentenced for Stealing Missile-Tracking Trade Secrets
Gong Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison
Federal prosecutors announced that 59-year-old Chenguang Gong of San Jose was sentenced this week to 46 months in federal prison for stealing sensitive trade secrets linked to U.S. missile-tracking technology. The sentencing followed his July 21 guilty plea to one count of theft of trade secrets.
Gong was also ordered to pay $77,408 in restitution and a $100,000 fine. Prosecutors said the theft involved thousands of files belonging to a Los Angeles–area research and development defense contractor.
More Than 3,600 Files Taken From Defense Contractor
According to federal officials, Gong transferred more than 3,600 files from the company in 2023. Many of the stolen files were later found on storage devices seized from his temporary residence in Thousand Oaks.
The stolen materials included blueprints and designs for infrared sensors used in space-based systems to detect nuclear missile launches and track ballistic and hypersonic missiles. Other designs enabled U.S. military aircraft to detect and evade heat-seeking missiles.
Unauthorized Copies Made Before and After Job Acceptance Elsewhere
Gong was hired in January 2023 as an application-specific integrated circuit design manager. Prosecutors said that between March 30 and his termination on April 26, he copied thousands of files onto personal storage devices.
More than 1,800 of the files were copied after he had accepted a job with one of the victim company’s major competitors. Prosecutors described the stolen trade secrets as being worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Prosecutors Cite Links to Chinese Talent Programs
Federal prosecutors linked Gong to multiple applications between 2014 and 2022 to Chinese government-run Talent Programs. Court documents included a 2019 email in which Gong wrote about traveling to China for program activities and referenced his work for an American military industry company.
The name of the victim company has not been released.