According to the Department of Justice, a former Southern California defense engineer pleaded guilty Monday to stealing U.S. government technology used in space-based missile detection systems.
Chenguang Gong, 59, a dual citizen of the United States and China, admitted to transferring thousands of proprietary files from his employer to personal devices during a brief tenure in 2023. The sensitive materials included designs for infrared sensors capable of tracking ballistic and hypersonic missiles and detecting heat-seeking threats aimed at U.S. fighter jets.
Gong was a circuit design manager at a Los Angeles-area research firm contracted to develop defense technologies. Prosecutors say he began copying files on March 30, 2023, shortly after accepting a position with a rival company. He was terminated on April 26, 2023.
The 3,600 files he moved were blueprints labeled “Proprietary Information” and “Export Controlled,” detailing advanced sensor hardware and cryogenic cooling systems critical to national defense. Law enforcement later discovered the files at Gong’s temporary residence in Thousand Oaks.
Court documents reveal that Gong had long sought involvement in Chinese government “Talent Programs” designed to recruit skilled individuals from foreign tech sectors. Between 2014 and 2022, he submitted multiple applications to these programs, seeking funding to develop radar components and night vision systems with military applications. Some of these proposals included identifying details from prior U.S. defense employers.
In a translated 2019 email, Gong wrote that he “took a risk” by participating in the programs due to his employment with an American military firm. He reportedly told contacts in China he aimed to assist in the development of “high-end military integrated circuits.”
Federal authorities estimate Gong’s actions caused over $3.5 million in intended economic harm. He pleaded guilty to one count of theft of trade secrets and remains free on a $1.75 million bond.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 29. Gong faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Counterintelligence Task Force in Los Angeles, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Diplomatic Security Service, and multiple Department of Justice units.
