Boeing Engineer Gets 15 Years for Spying - Updated

(Santa Ana, California) In July 2009, Dongfan Chung was convicted of economic espionage and spying.

For almost 30 years, Chung passed information to the People's Republic of China. Data from the NASA Space Shuttle program to the B-1 Bomber and the F-15 to the B-52 to the Chinook helicopter were stolen and given to the PRC.

Earlier today, 73-year-old Dongfan “Greg” Chung was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney to 188 months in prison. Judge Carney said he wanted to send a message to China to stop sending spies to America.

Chung held a “secret” security clearance when he worked at Rockwell and Boeing on the space shuttle program, authorities said. He retired in 2002 but the next year returned to Boeing as a contractor, a position he held until September 2006, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

Chung has always maintained that he was not spying, rather he was writing a book.

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Boeing Engineer Accused of Spying for China
[Previous 2/11/08 post]
The Department of Justice has arrested a former Boeing engineer for spying on behalf of the Peoples Republic of China. The spying allegedly went on for years.

The department said the arrest of 72-year-old Dongfan "Greg" Chung, of Orange, Calif. follows his indictment on eight counts of economic espionage and acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China.

Chung is alleged to have taken and concealed Boeing trade secrets relating to the Space Shuttle, the C-17 military transport aircraft and the Delta IV rocket.

A native of China, Chung is a naturalized U.S. citizen who held a "Secret" clearance.

The government said the investigation into Chung is related to an earlier investigation of Chi Mak and several of his family members, who were convicted last year of providing defense articles to China.

Each charge of economic espionage carries a maximum possible penalty of 15 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. The charges of acting as an agent of a foreign government and obstruction of justice each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The conspiracy charges each carry a maximum prison sentence of five years and a $250,000 fine.

Chung's arrest was part of a broader Justice Department move against alleged spies for China.

The Chinese sent letters to Chung requesting specific technological information. In one case, Chung responded by stating "a desire to contribute to the motherland."

Just freakin' great! It's as if we don't have enough to worry about with the scum terrorists.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.