A federal jury has convicted Ji Wang 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.

Wang was born in China and immigrated to the US in 1998 to work for Corning Incorporated.  Between 2002 and 2007, Wang was assigned to work on a joint research and development project funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (“DARPA”) and Corning.  The goal of the 5-year, $11.4 million project was to develop optical fibers for high-powered lasers with military and commercial applications.  DARPA and Corning aimed to increase the power of fiber lasers by more than a factor of 1000.  DARPA sought to develop this technology to create laser weapons capable of shooting down drones and missiles.

On or about July 1, 2016, Wang stole hundreds of files that contained non-public data generated during the DARPA project, including trade-secret manufacturing technology that would have enabled him to fabricate all manner of specialty optical fibers, including for fiber lasers.

Ten days before Wang stole the trade secret files, he had applied for China’s Thousand Talents Plan Award.  The Thousand Talents Plan Award was an initiative by the 🇨🇳 government aimed at people who were born in China and immigrated to the US, to study or work in science and technology fields.  The Thousand Talents Plan Award incentivized these people to return to China by promising millions of dollars of investment to award recipients who returned to China.  Two months after Wang stole the trade secret files, he was selected to receive a Thousand Talents Plan Award.

Wang was negotiating with the 🇨🇳 government entities to start a specialty fiber business in China from at least 2014 through 2017.  Wang was negotiating to receive tens of millions of dollars in investment from the 🇨🇳 government entities, who would have been shareholders in his new venture.  Wang’s business plans showed that he was planning to use the stolen trade-secret files to start this business in China. Wang’s business plans also touted the military applications of the technology.  In one such business plan, which Wang submitted to a Chinese government entity, he advertised that specialty fibers “can also be installed on military vehicles,” including “tanks.”  Wang claimed that such use of the technology on military vehicles could “be key to deciding victory or defeat.”

Ultimately, law enforcement disrupted Wang’s efforts before he was able to start a new business and exploit the technology he stole.

Economic espionage carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and theft of trade secrets carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.  Sentencing is scheduled for Apr 15, 2026.

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