‘SECRET’

U.S. Accuses Chinese Spies of Scheming to Disrupt Huawei Investigation

Guochun He and Zheng Wang face up to 40 years and 20 years behind bars, respectively, for alleged obstruction and money laundering.

In one of three Justice Department cases unveiled Monday accusing Chinese state actors of obstruction, the U.S. alleged two Chinese intelligence officers attempted to interfere in a criminal probe into Huawei Technologies. Guochun He and Zheng Wang allegedly bribed an unnamed U.S. law enforcement official in an attempt to glean confidential information related to the investigation, paying out as much as $41,000 via Bitcoin, according to the complaint. However, the U.S. official, who had developed a relationship with the pair since 2007, was actually a double agent working with the FBI. Together, U.S. intelligence officials passed along a faux document labeled “SECRET” to the alleged Chinese spies in October 2021, describing fake prosecution strategies and potential charges, which He described as “exactly what” he was “waiting for.” “Today’s complaint underscores the unrelenting efforts of the PRC government to undermine the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace in a statement. Wang faces up to 20 years behind bars for obstruction while He faces up to 40 years for obstruction and money laundering. They are both still at large.