Businessman
Sold Military Secrets to China
A New Orleans businessman pleaded guilty to espionage
in a U.S. District Court on May 13th, confessing that he passed private
military information, which he received from a former U.S. Department
of Defence official, to the Chinese government.
Tai Shen Kuo gave the official gifts, money, and dinners in exchange for
classified projections of U.S. military sales to Taiwan. He also promised
him a job with a company he was starting to sell U.S. defence technology
to Taiwan. Court papers indicated that Kuo received $50,000 from China
for his efforts. He could be sentenced to life in prison.
The former official, Gregg W. Bergersen, who also pleaded guilty in April,
faces up to 10 years in prison.
The U.S. government said China is working harder to get its hands on U.S.
military and trade secrets, which has prompted the U.S. Department of
Justice to heavily investigate Chinese espionage cases. In the past year
alone, there have been at least 12.
‘Espionage is a real and serious
threat to our national security,’ said U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg.
