The U.S. Justice Department charged a Chinese national with stealing Apple’s trade secrets, including information about driverless car technology, in one of five cases brought by a new task force focused on protecting critical technology from foreign governments.
An indictment unsealed Tuesday in federal court alleges that Wang Weibao, a former software engineer at Apple, stole thousands of documents, including the development of the self-driving system technology used in self-driving cars.
While the engineer was working on a secretive project for Apple, he also began working for a U.S. subsidiary of a China-based company that was said to be developing self-driving cars, the Justice Department said.
Law enforcement officers found a trove of data obtained from Apple when they searched his California home in 2018. Prosecutors said he flew that night to Guangzhou, China, even though he told agents he was not planning to travel.
If found guilty, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine for each of the six charges brought against him. Apple declined to comment, and Wang could not be reached for comment.
The case is part of a series of lawsuits filed Tuesday by five separate U.S. attorney’s offices on charges of export violations, smuggling and theft of trade secrets.
They represent the first criminal charges brought by a task force formed by the Justice and Commerce Departments in February to protect U.S. technology from hostile government actors.
“These charges demonstrate the Department of Justice’s commitment to preventing sensitive technology from falling into the hands of foreign adversaries, including Russia, China, and Iran,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew Olson said in a statement.
In a separate case announced Tuesday, another software engineer was arrested earlier this month for allegedly stealing trade secrets from two California companies, including software source code for “smart” manufacturing. He is accused of trying to sell the technology to several Chinese companies.
Another Chinese national was charged in a separate case with a scheme to supply Iran with materials used in the production of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles through a sanctioned Chinese company. Payments for the scheme were routed through the U.S. financial system, prosecutors said.
Two other cases announced by U.S. authorities were linked to Russia and led to arrests earlier this month. Greek national Nikolaos “Nikos” Bogonikolos was arrested in Paris and faces extradition proceedings after allegedly obtaining sensitive technology on behalf of the Russian government.
According to the indictment, he worked with companies that formed part of the United States’ so-called “Serniya Network,” an illegal procurement group working on behalf of Russian intelligence.
Earlier this month, the Financial Times reported that companies linked to Serniya Network continued to source items from within the European Union last year despite U.S. sanctions.
According to the US, the network works on behalf of Russia’s FSB spy agency, including procuring sanctioned technology for its Scientific and Technical Intelligence Directorate, commonly known as “Directorate T.”
Other clients include the Kremlin’s foreign intelligence service, known as SVR; state-owned defense group Rostec; Russia’s Ministry of Defense; and Rosatom, the state atomic energy company responsible for the country’s nuclear arsenal. Bogonikolos could not be reached for comment.
“In light of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, our office has stepped up its investigation and prosecution of sanctions and export violations,” said Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, who brought the case against the Greek defendants.
Separately, two Russian nationals were arrested in the United States for trying to buy aircraft parts that prosecutors said were supposed to be sent to Aeroflot, in violation of export control and money laundering laws.
Additional reporting by Patrick McGee