A federal jury has convicted 63-year-old Ji Wang of Painted Post, on multiple charges of economic espionage and theft of trade secrets involving sensitive defense research.
Wang was found guilty of two counts of economic espionage, one count of theft of trade secrets, and one count each of attempted economic espionage and attempted theft of trade secrets, according to U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo for the Western District of New York and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.
“This conviction demonstrates the importance of protecting trade secrets developed in the United States, especially those with military applications,” said U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. Eisenberg added that Wang “stole sensitive defense research from his employer and attempted to use it for personal profit at the expense of our national security,” stressing that such betrayals “will not go unpunished.”
According to the Department of Justice, Wang, a Chinese native who immigrated to the U.S. in 1998, worked for Corning Incorporated and had access to confidential research funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Between 2002 and 2007, he contributed to an $11.4 million project developing optical fibers for high-powered lasers, with both military and commercial applications, including potential laser weapons capable of targeting drones and missiles.
In July 2016, Wang stole hundreds of files containing trade-secret data from the DARPA project, shortly after applying for China’s “Thousand Talents Plan,” a government initiative to recruit Chinese-born scientists working abroad. Two months later, he was selected to receive the award. Investigators say Wang negotiated with Chinese government entities between 2014 and 2017 to launch a specialty fiber business in China using the stolen technology, highlighting its military potential for tanks and other vehicles. Authorities disrupted the plans before the venture was established.
“This conviction underscores the FBI’s dedication to exposing those who steal U.S. trade secrets for foreign benefit,” said FBI Buffalo Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera. Jonathan Carson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement in New York, added that the agency “remains committed to preventing the unlawful transfer of sensitive technologies.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, and Homeland Security Investigations in Detroit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire and Trial Attorneys Nicholas Hunter and Brendan Geary of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Wang faces up to 15 years in prison for each count of economic espionage and up to 10 years for each count of theft of trade secrets. Sentencing is scheduled for April 15, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
