An indictment was unsealed today charging Ping Li, 59, of Wesley Chapel, Florida, with conspiring to act as an agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without notification to the Attorney General and with acting as an agent of the PRC without notification to the Attorney General. If convicted, Li faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
According to court documents, the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) is responsible for civilian intelligence collection for the PRC. The MSS often uses “cooperative contacts” located in countries outside of the PRC to further their intelligence goals. These goals include obtaining information concerning foreign corporate or industrial matters, foreign politicians or intelligence officers, and information concerning PRC political dissidents residing in those countries. These cooperative contacts assist the MSS by conducting research on topics of interest to the PRC that can be used to further the MSS’ mission.
The indictment alleges that Li was a U.S. citizen who immigrated to the United States from the PRC. At various times, Li worked for a major U.S. telecommunications company and an international information technology company.
From as early as 2012, Li allegedly served as a cooperative contact working at the direction of officers of the MSS to obtain information of interest to the PRC government. Li obtained a wide variety of information at the request of the MSS, including information concerning Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy advocates, members of the Falun Gong religious movement, and U.S.-based non-governmental organizations. He reported this information back to the MSS and also provided them with information obtained from his employer. Li used various anonymous online accounts for communicating with the MSS and traveled to China for meetings.
For example, according to the indictment, in August 2012 an MSS officer requested that Li provide information about practitioners of Falun Gong and pro-democracy advocates in the United States. Less than a week after receiving this request, Li sent biographical details about an individual affiliated with Falun Gong residing in St. Petersburg, Florida.
In March 2015, an MSS officer requested information from Li about branch offices that his employer had opened in China. Three weeks later, Li responded with this information.
In March 2017, an MSS officer requested a training instruction plan from Li. In April 2017, Li responded indicating he had uploaded materials to an online account shared with the officer and asked for these materials to be deleted after reading.
In May 2021, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning hacking events targeting U.S. companies. Within four days, Li responded with this information.
In March 2022, an MSS officer requested from Li details about his new employer and materials relating to cybersecurity training; he sent this same day.
In June 2022, an MSS officer requested from Li details about someone who had fled China for America; he responded that same day with owner details regarding their suspected address.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division; Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of FBI’s National Security Branch; and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for Middle District Florida made this announcement.
The FBI is investigating this case.
Assistant U.S Attorneys Daniel J Marcet & Karyna Valdes (Middle District Florida), alongside Trial Attorney Scott Claffee (National Security Division Counterintelligence/Export Control Section), are prosecuting it.
An indictment is merely an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.