If convicted, the researcher could face up to 20 years of prison time.
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has charged a Chinese researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles for allegedly destroying evidence relating to a federal investigation into the possible illegal transfer of US technology to China. The charged individual, Guan Lei, allegedly threw a hard drive into a dumpster nearby his US residence prior to attempting to board a flight to China. The hard drive was recovered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after Guan refused a request from the intelligence agency to examine his computer when he attempted to board a flight to China. Following his refusal of the request, Guan was not allowed to board the flight. According to an affidavit filed by the FBI in support of the charge, the hard drive was „irreparably damaged and that all previous data associated with the hard drive appears to have been removed deliberately and by force“. The FBI has since commenced an investigation into whether Guan possibly transferred sensitive US software or technical data to China’s National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) or falsely denied his association with the Chinese military when he applied for a visa in 2018, the DoJ said.
