"Certain foreign governments are committed to obtaining the American trade secrets that can advance the development of their military capabilities. Today's case demonstrates that the Justice Department is equally committed to foiling those efforts through the arrest and prosecution of those who conduct economic espionage at the expense of our economic and national security," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Kenneth L. Wainstein.
The Department of Justice has announced two major spy cases involving information passed to China:
Defense Department Official and Two Others Arrested on Espionage Charges Involving China
Tai Shen Kuo, age 58, and Yu Xin Kang, age 33, both of New Orleans, Louisiana, and Gregg William Bergersen, age 51, of Alexandria, Virginia, were arrested today on espionage charges related to the passage of classified U.S. government documents and information to the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
Both Kuo and Kang were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to disclose national defense information to a foreign government, in violation of 18 U.S.C., Section 794(a) and (c). Bergersen was charged in a separate complaint with conspiracy to disclose national defense information to persons not entitled to receive it, in violation of 18 U.S.C., Section 793(d) and (g).
And...
Former Boeing Engineer Charged with Economic Espionage in Theft of Space Shuttle Secrets for China
A former Boeing engineer was arrested this morning after being indicted last week on charges of economic espionage and acting as an unregistered foreign agent of the People's Republic of China (PRC), for whom the engineer stole Boeing trade secrets related to several aerospace programs, including the Space Shuttle.
In the case of Chung, the DoJ announcement noted that "individuals in the Chinese aviation industry began sending Chung "tasking" letters as early as 1979. Over the years, the letters directed Chung to collect specific technological information, including data related to the Space Shuttle and various military and civilian aircraft. Chung allegedly responded in one letter indicating a desire to contribute to the "motherland."
We suspect that the interest in former intelligence officers and their "UFO hobby" has more to do with the possibility of similar acts of espionage and collection than cover-up of alien visitations. In a curious twist we were recently informed that a primary AVIAN "witness" to the extraterrestrial core story will be moving to China in the near future.
According to the indictment, between 1985 and 2003, Chung made multiple trips to the PRC to deliver lectures on technology involving the Space Shuttle and other programs, and during those trips he met with officials and agents of the PRC government. The indictment alleges that Chung and PRC officials exchanged letters that discussed cover stories for Chung's travel to China and recommended methods for passing information... The indictment describes a May 2, 1987 letter from Gu Weihao, an official in the Ministry of Aviation and China Aviation Industry Corporation, which discussed the possibility of inviting Chung's wife, who is an artist, to visit an art institute so that Chung could use the cover of traveling with his wife as an excuse to travel to the PRC.
As for the Kuo and Kang case:
"Today's prosecution demonstrates that foreign spying remains a serious threat in the post-Cold War world. The conspiracy charged in this case has all the elements of a classic espionage operation: a foreign government focused on accessing our military secrets; foreign operatives who effectively use stealth and guile to gain that access; and an American government official who is willing to betray both his oath of public office and the duty of loyalty we rightly demand from every American citizen. Such espionage networks pose a grave danger to our national security, and we should all thank the investigators and prosecutors on this case for effectively penetrating and dismantling this network before more sensitive information was compromised," said Assistant Attorney General Wainstein.
Investigative journalist and author Gus Russo has suggested that the tales of spies, lies, and polygraph tape point to concerns about networks carrying sensitive information under the guise of UFO investigations. He also points to USAF OSI involvement in developing background for the UFO-USAF tales for counter-intelligence purposes.
It is instructive to consider how information about potentially sensitive exotic concepts for new technologies are transmitted on the Internet.
Consider today's real-life espionage affair:
Working under the direction of an individual identified in the complaint affidavit only as "PRC Official A," Kuo cultivated friendships with Bergersen and others within the U.S. government and obtained from them -- for ultimate passage to the PRC -- sensitive U.S. government information, including classified national defense information. Much of the information pertained to U.S. military sales to Taiwan.
Bergersen, a Weapons Systems Policy Analyst at the Arlington, Va.-based Defense Security Cooperation Agency, an agency within the Department of Defense, was charged with being the source of the classified information collected by Kuo. Kang, a citizen of the PRC and a Lawful Permanent Resident of the United States, served as a conduit of information between PRC Official A and Kuo.
Meetings between Kuo and Bergersen took place at various locations in Northern Virginia, Charleston, South Carolina, and Las Vegas. On some occasions, Bergersen received undetermined cash payments from Kuo in exchange for information and documents he provided.
Kuo and Kang each face up to life in prison if convicted of conspiracy to disclose national defense information to a foreign government. Bergersen faces up to ten years in prison if convicted of conspiracy to disclose national defense information to persons not entitled to receive it.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) provided substantial assistance and cooperation throughout the course of the investigation.
DoJ disclaimer: Criminal complaints are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
