Two Chinese Intelligence officers were accused of allegedly trying to bribe a U.S. official with around $61,000 in Bitcoin in order to steal documents related to an ongoing investigation into the Chinese tech company Huawei.
“As these cases demonstrate, the government of China sought to interfere with the rights and freedoms of individuals in the United States and to undermine our judicial system that protects those rights. They did not succeed.” -AG Garland
— Justice Department (@TheJusticeDept) October 24, 2022
According to a statement made by the U.S. Justice Department, Gouchun He and Zheng Wang reportedly planned to steal documents and other data from the Eastern District of New York’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The two officers reportedly sought data connected to a current federal investigation and prosecution of a multinational telecommunications corporation with headquarters in the People’s Republic of China.
Along with another lawsuit describing a broader sting operation and 13 more people who have also been charged, the Department of Justice filed this one.
The DOJ claims that Gouchun He informed the government employee in September 2022 that they would pay further money in Bitcoin for information beyond what had already been supplied. The agent reportedly gave the employee $20,000 in BTC in October.
#FBI Director Christopher Wray said the Bureau is dedicated to being straightforward in our communications with partners so that we can be seen as a trustworthy ally in the fight against Chinese government aggression. https://t.co/mbD8S7QcfS pic.twitter.com/a4HFc1bmHQ
— FBI (@FBI) October 24, 2022
If found guilty, Gouchun may spend up to 60 years in jail and Want could face up to 20 years.