US accuses Apple employee of stealing technology and fleeing abroad

The cases detailed at a Justice Department press conference focused on allegations involving the theft of trade secrets and other technology.

Illustration: GI

The five incidents were announced for the first time by a new US “strike force” created in February to protect sensitive technologies, although investigations had been ongoing since then.

“We are serious about enforcing U.S. laws to prevent the flow of sensitive technology to our foreign adversaries,” Matt Olsen, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, told reporters.

The former Apple engineer, identified as Weibao Wang, 35, formerly of Mountain View, California, was hired by Apple in 2016, according to an indictment unsealed in April and unsealed Tuesday.

In 2017, the person took a job in the US with a Chinese company developing self-driving cars before leaving Apple, but waited about four months before informing Apple about his new job.

The Justice Department said that after his last day at Apple, the company discovered that he had accessed a large amount of proprietary data in the days before he left. Federal agents searched his home in June 2018 and found “large amounts” of Apple data. He boarded a plane to China shortly after the search, the department said.

Apple’s car development, known as Project Titan, has been on hiatus since 2014, even though the company had begun designing a vehicle. A report in December said Apple had delayed its plans to launch the car until 2026. Reports filed with the state of California show Apple is testing the car on state roads.

In the second case, U.S. prosecutors announced charges against Liming Li, 64, of Rancho Cucamonga, California, for allegedly stealing trade secrets from his California-based employers to build his own competing business in China.

In addition, prosecutors in New York have charged Nikolaos Bogonikolos, 49, a Greek national with smuggling U.S.-origin military technology to Russia while he was working as a defense contractor for NATO.

Separately, prosecutors in New York announced charges against Xiangjiang Qiao, also known as Joe Hansen, 39, for allegedly using a Chinese company to supply weapons-related materials to Iran.

Two other charges involve Russian citizens Oleg Sergeyevich Patsulya and Vasilii Sergeyevich Besedin for using their Florida-based company to ship aircraft parts to Russia.

US officials said Qiao and Wang remain in China, while four other defendants have been arrested. Lawyers and other parties involved in the cases did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Hoang Anh (according to Reuters, CNA)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/my-cao-buoc-nhan-vien-apple-danh-cap-cong-nghe-roi-tron-sang-nuoc-ngoai-post247983.html