By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com
A former aerospace engineer for Boeing was sentenced Monday in California to 15 years and 8 months in prison for stealing restricted technologies and trade secrets on behalf of China that included information related to the Space Shuttle program and the Delta IV rocket, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney in Santa Ana, Calif., handed down the tough sentence to Dongfan “Greg” Chung, 73, of Orange, Calif., saying he wanted to send a message to China to “stop sending your spies here,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Authorities charged that Chung had acted as agent for China for more than three decades while first employed by Rockwell in its space and defense unit, which was later acquired by Boeing.
Chung, a native of China who is a naturalized United States citizen, held a “secret” security clearance. He retired from the company in 2002, but returned a year later to Boeing as a contract until 2006, authorities said.
“The FBI and our partners in the intelligence community are committed to stopping those intent on stealing American technology, whether they are motivated by money or allegiance to their native country, as in the case of Mr. Chung,” Steven M. Martinez, head of the Los Angeles FBI office, said in a statement.
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