On July 21, Chenguang Gong pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of theft of trade secrets for the benefit of a foreign government, a violation of Title 18, U.S. Code Section 1832. The charge carries a statutory maximum of ten years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $5 million or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment of $100. Sentencing is scheduled for September 29, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
According to the Department of Justice and court filings, Gong retained and misused technical files across three U.S.-based companies specializing in analog-to-digital converters and infrared sensing technologies intended for military and aerospace applications. Between 2009 and 2023, he held engineering positions that provided access to export-controlled designs, proprietary sensor architectures, and cryogenic packaging systems.
Gong Discovered
The breach was discovered in April 2023 when a technician at Gong’s Southern California employer observed an unauthorized flash drive inserted into his company-issued workstation. The device contained restricted schematics for missile launch detection systems, Integrated Dewar Cooler Assemblies, and infrared sensor modules used in aircraft countermeasures. Gong was terminated soon after.
This serendipitous discovery led to a broader federal investigation. Search warrants executed by the FBI at Gong’s residences in Thousand Oaks and San Jose yielded more than 3,600 proprietary files across 30 digital devices. Recovered materials traced back to earlier employers and included radar-grade sensor designs, backside-illuminated CMOS schematics, and internal test archives spanning more than a decade.
Who are the victims?
According to his LinkedIn profile, Gong worked at a Silicon Valley chipmaker, believed to be Maxim Integrated, which based on a read of the court documents would align to the period between 2009 and 2014. Those files from this employer were not discovered until February 2024, during the FBI forensic review of his personal laptop. It is believed, he subsequently worked at BAE Systems Imaging Solutions in San Jose from 2015 to 2019. A search of patent libraries listed Gong as a creator on patents owned by BAE. Their data was also found on Gong’s devices. Gong then moved on and landed, in early 2023, at a Southern California research lab, which may be Raytheon Vision Systems.
China’s numerous talent programs
From 2014 through 2022, Gong submitted multiple proposals to Chinese government-backed talent initiatives. Prosecutors cited these submissions as evidence of intent to benefit a foreign state through unauthorized dissemination of sensitive U.S. technologies. The proposals incorporated proprietary materials and emphasized military applications.
Confirmed outreach efforts include:
3615 Economic Development Zone Plan (Hangzhou):
Gong submitted a plan to replicate high-speed ADC designs originally developed at a U.S. defense firm. He requested ¥40 million (approx. $5.6 million USD) in support funding. Review of the court documents show submission but no award.
325 Talent Plan (Xihu District):
Proposal focused on CMOS sensor technology adapted for drone platforms and military optics. Gong included proprietary performance videos and internal schematics. No confirmed onboarding.
Maker World – Hangxiang Innovation Competition (Zhejiang):
Gong was a finalist with a pitch centered on bypassing foreign technology embargoes using derivative sensor designs. He was not selected for further development.
Nanjing International Exchange Conference (Nanjing):
Gong privately presented an ADC roadmap intended to match or exceed Western radar capabilities. Correspondence referred to the trip as “a risk.”
Although no confirmed compensation was awarded, the embedded technical content matched materials recovered from his employers.
Insider risk management
The case has highlighted the need for robust insider risk management solutions. Save for the forensic search of Gong’s devices, two of the three companies would not be aware that a former employee had successfully purloined and retained their trade secrets. While the initial discovery of Gong’s perfidy occurred because an employee saw something and said something, it appears the theft of trade secret information had gone unnoticed. Thus, we had three companies, all creating technologies useful to the U.S. Department of Defense, and none detected the misappropriation of their trade secrets via system alerts, behavioral flags, or periodic audits.
Gong’s status
Gong’s plea agreement subjects him to strict digital oversight during future supervised release. He must disclose all devices, email accounts, messaging applications, cloud storage profiles, usernames, and passwords prior to use. Federal officers retain the right to search his person, property, and digital assets without prior notice. These conditions are intended to ensure full post-conviction visibility and prevent further unauthorized data retention or sharing.
Gong remains in federal custody pending sentencing, scheduled for September 2025.
