Florida Engineer Pleads Guilty To Acting As Agent For Beijing

A Florida engineer in Tampa has entered a guilty plea for acting as an agent for the Chinese government, collecting intelligence on dissidents, U.S. nonprofits, and companies. Under the instructions of China’s top intelligence gathering agency, the Ministry of State Security, Li obtained a wide range of information about various targets, including pro-democracy activists, members of the persecuted faith group Falun Gong, and his previous employer, U.S. telecom giant Verizon. Court documents and Li’s LinkedIn profile reveal that he even discussed hacking tactics with a Chinese intelligence officer and provided cybersecurity training materials upon request.

If convicted, Li could face up to 5 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. As part of the plea agreement, he may also be required to provide restitution to the victims affected by his offenses. The sentencing hearing is scheduled to occur within the next 70 to 90 days.

One of Li’s earliest assignments back in 2012 involved collecting information on lawsuits planned by Falun Gong practitioners against Chinese state government officials. In a court filing, it is mentioned that after meeting with a provincial-level officer from the Ministry of State Security in Wuhan, China, Li showed gratitude for the officer’s assistance during his time in China. Li proceeded to share personal information about an attorney in St. Petersburg, Florida, who had provided Falun Gong books to his wife and had written a blog for a publication associated with the group.

In subsequent communications, the Chinese intelligence officer thanked Li for the provided information, addressing him as “bro.” The officer requested Li to monitor movements of pro-democracy activists prior to the 18th Party Congress, a significant Chinese political leadership conference, and to keep an eye on potential connections to the CIA or FBI. Over time, Li continued to fulfill various requests from the officer, including sharing public information and social media handles of Israeli authors who wrote about Falun Gong, as well as conducting searches and providing details on individuals related to the faith group.

The close relationship between Li and the officer is evident from their frequent use of terms like “brother” and the officer’s colleagues treating Li to a hot spring trip in Beijing. To conceal their communications from U.S. law enforcement, they deployed tactics like deleting emails and materials and creating fake accounts. As Li did not possess a Chinese phone number, he sought assistance from the officer to set up a shared account on the Chinese social networking platform Sina.

The officer also tasked Li with research on other subjects that aligned with the agency’s objectives. Li was asked to gather information about Verizon’s Chinese branch offices in 2015 to ascertain any potential data collection activities in China. In March 2022, the officer inquired about Li’s current employer, Infosys, an Indian information technology company, and requested materials on their cybersecurity training and techniques. Li responded by sharing a cybersecurity manual and providing a description of his employer and its customers.

Apart from these incidents, Li aided the officer in obtaining details about a wanted individual in Ezhou, Hubei, the officer’s home province. The individual had fled China after actions that caused offense in Beijing. Li also played a role in identifying the attorney in St. Petersburg and gathering information regarding Falun Gong-related lawsuits.

During the court hearing, Li, who acquired U.S. citizenship around 20 years ago, appeared in a sapphire blue T-shirt. When asked if he had any regrets, Li responded negatively. According to his lawyer, Daniel Fernandez, the defense argued that the case does not constitute espionage since Li shared public information with childhood friends who were now government employees. Fernandez emphasized that Li was aware of the officer’s affiliation with the Chinese state and took responsibility for his actions.

Fernandez noted that this case is only the tip of the iceberg and that many other Chinese spies are still living within U.S. communities. He expressed his approval of the attention U.S. authorities are paying to covert Chinese operations. Fernandez hopes that Li’s guilty plea will prompt him to genuinely reflect on the harm caused by his actions.

Recently, there have been other guilty pleas in relation to China-related prosecutions.