A Texas A&M College professor and NASA researcher has been charged with conspiracy and accused of collaborating with a number of Chinese language entities, whereas his grant explicitly prohibited him from doing so.
Zhengdong Cheng, a professor within the School of Engineering at Texas A&M who additionally labored on initiatives for NASA, was arrested by the FBI over the weekend, the Division of Justice mentioned Monday.
Texas A&M Engineering Professor Zhengdong Cheng, of School Station, TX, is charged with conspiracy, making false statements and wire fraud. #HouNews #Breaking pic.twitter.com/PbdwaJ2SjI
— FBI Houston (@FBIHouston) August 24, 2020
Cheng has led a workforce conducting analysis for NASA, and, in line with the legal criticism, intentionally hid his ties with a Chinese language college and at the very least one Chinese language-owned firm for a number of years. The professor was explicitly prohibited from cooperating with China in any kind beneath the phrases of his federal grant participation, the costs point out.
The scientist now stands accused of conspiracy, wire fraud and giving false statements. Cheng is believed to have personally benefited from these alleged actions, as he was granted superior entry to NASA sources, together with even the Worldwide Area Station (ISS). Such perks allegedly helped him enhance his standing with Guangdong College of Expertise, in addition to a number of different Chinese language universities.
FBI Counterintelligence Division Assistant Director Alan Kohler Jr. mentioned that the company is “dedicated to aggressively pursuing” any people who’re trying to “undercut” US technological development by “concealing their participation in Chinese language expertise recruitment applications and to carry them accountable for his or her actions.”
Regardless of the involvement of the FBI’s counterintelligence in Cheng’s case, it was not instantly clear whether or not the scientist truly had any entry to delicate or labeled info. Notably, he has not been charged with espionage.
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Cheng’s arrest comes days after Hong Kong-born former CIA officer and FBI contractor Alexander Yuk Ching Ma was arrested for espionage in a separate case. The previous official allegedly offered info to the Chinese language authorities, in line with the costs towards him.
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