The wife of a former Anaheim engineer implicated in a high-profile military spying case was sentenced to three years in prison today for acting as an agent of the People's Republic of China. Rebecca Laiwah Chiu, 64, of Downey pleaded guilty last June to the charge, in exchange for the prison sentence. She also agreed to have her U.S. citizenship revoked and to be deported after prison.

She is the fifth and final defendant convicted in the case. Her husband, Chi Mak, was the mastermind behind the conspiracy. He worked at the Anaheim-based naval contractor Power Paragon, and was charged with exporting sensitive defense technology to China. He is serving a prison sentence of 24 and a half years after being convicted in May 2007.  Rebecca Chiu will start serving her prison sentence on Nov. 27...Chi Mak gave his brother, Tai Mak, three encrypted files containing protected naval technology to take to China in October 2005 – leading to Tai Mak's arrest at Los Angeles International Airport. A search of Chi Mak's house also yielded other documents containing military technology. Besides Rebecca Chiu and Chi Mak, their extended family is serving time. Tai Mak is serving a 10 year prison sentence. His wife, Fuk Heaung Li, was sentenced to three years probation, and their son, Billy Mak, was given a year in prison.......(Orange County Register, 2 Oct 08)

Times reporter subpoenaed for sources

…Bill Gertz, national security reporter for The Washington Times, has been subpoenaed by a federal judge to reveal the confidential sources for a story he wrote more than two years ago about a Chinese spy ring in California. The story, "New Charges Expected in Defense Data Theft Ring," appeared May 16, 2006. Mr. Gertz quoted unnamed U.S. government sources as saying that senior Justice Department officials approved an indictment against Chi Mak, an engineer who worked for Power Paragon, an American defense contractor, charging him with conspiracy and "unlawful export of defense articles." Four of his relatives would also be charged, the story said. U.S. District Court Judge Cormac Carney has ordered Mr. Gertz to appear in his Santa Ana courtroom June 13 and has also requested such supporting documents as e-mails, files and correspondence regarding the case. Mak is already incarcerated, convicted last May of being an unregistered foreign agent who conspired to export sensitive details about American military technology to the People's Republic of China…..(Washington Times, 31 May 08)

Reporter subpoenaed in leak probe

…The newspaper's executive editor said in a report published Saturday that journalist Bill Gertz, the Times' national security reporter, should not have to testify in an a court case to determine who leaked information about a grand jury proceeding regarding Chi Mak, a former California engineer who was sentenced in March to 24 years in prison for spying for China. Gertz has been ordered to appear before U.S. District Court Judge Cormac Carney in Santa Ana, Calif., on June 13 to answer questions about where he obtained information published in a 2006 story about the busted spy ring that revealed grand jury-related details…..(UPI, 31 May 08)

Judge wants reporter to reveal sources in spy case

…Gertz cited U.S. government sources in a 2006 story saying that Justice Department officials approved an indictment against Tai Mak and that four of Mak's relatives would also be charged. Mak's attorneys had objected to Gertz's story, contending the government violated a federal rule barring federal officials from giving information about grand jury proceedings to outsiders. Carney ordered an investigation to determine who leaked the information. "We will be presenting our case to the judge and we remain hopeful that he will be receptive to the arguments we present to him in trying to preserve Bill's and the Times' First Amendment right to report the news and his other legal rights as well,"…..(AP, 31 May 08)

Reporter Ordered To Testify About Sources

…Judge Cormac Carney, who sits in Santa Ana, Calif., has subpoenaed Mr. Gertz to testify on June 13 about his sources for a 2006 story in which he described new charges expected to be filed against an engineer who worked for American defense contractors, Chi Mak, as well as several of his relatives. New indictments were filed in the case, largely, but not entirely, as the article predicted. Mr. Gertz did not respond to an e-mail message last night seeking comment. A law professor who specializes in disputes involving the press said the case could escalate into a major First Amendment showdown with the prospect of jail time or large fines for Mr. Gertz…The subpoena to Mr. Gertz follows an investigation of the leak ordered by Judge Carney in response to a motion by Chi Mak's wife, Rebecca Chiu, who was also a defendant in the case. The leak probe, carried out by the FBI and prosecutors in Washington, was first reported by The New York Sun…….(New York Sun, 30 May 08)

Federal judge sentences China television exec to 10 years in espionage case

US District Judge Cormac J. Carney of the Central District of California on Monday sentenced former Chinese television executive Tai Wang Mak [CI Centre backgrounder] to 10 years in prison for conspiring with his brother, Chi Mak, to smuggle sensitive naval intelligence data to China… Tai Mak, along with his brother and brother's wife, in November 2005 for both acting as, and failing to register as, an agent of a foreign government in violation of 18 USC 951…..(Jurist, 23 Apr 08)

Recent Espionage Cases Involving China

…..(Washington Post, 3 Apr 08)

Chinese Spy 'Slept' In U.S. for 2 Decades

Prosecutors called Chi Mak the "perfect sleeper agent," though he hardly looked the part. For two decades, the bespectacled Chinese-born engineer lived quietly with his wife in a Los Angeles suburb, buying a house and holding a steady job with a U.S. defense contractor, which rewarded him with promotions and a security clearance. Colleagues remembered him as a hard worker who often took paperwork home at night. Eventually, Mak's job gave him access to sensitive plans for Navy ships, submarines and weapons. These he secretly copied and sent via courier to China -- fulfilling a mission that U.S. officials say he had been planning since the 1970s.  Mak was sentenced last week to 24 1/2 years in prison by a federal judge who described the lengthy term as a warning to China not to "send agents here to steal America's military secrets." But it may already be too late: According to U.S. intelligence and Justice Department officials, the Mak case represents only a small facet of an intelligence-gathering operation that has long been in place and is growing in size and sophistication.…..(Washington Post)

Engineer sentenced to 24 years in China conspiracy case

A Chinese-born engineer portrayed by a prosecutor as the hub in a family of spies was sentenced Monday to 24 years and five months in federal prison for conspiring to export U.S. military technology to China.  "I believe you betrayed the United States," U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney told Chi Mak, 67, a former electrical engineer at an Anaheim-based firm that handled Navy contracts."I don't know how much damage he did to us," Carney said later, noting that the naturalized citizen acted illegally as an agent of the People's Republic of China when he attempted to compromise sensitive technology used in the operation of U.S. warships…Mak was convicted in May of conspiracy to violate export control laws, attempting to violate export control laws, acting as an unregistered agent of China and lying to the FBI.  Monday's sentencing in Santa Ana capped an 18-month investigation of Mak's family that ended in October 2005 when he and four other family members were arrested by the FBI. They were charged in a scheme to illegally send the military information to China. The other four -- Mak's wife, brother, sister-in-law and nephew -- have pleaded guilty and agreed to jail terms or probation…….(LA Times, 25 Mar 08)

Spy for China gets 24 years

A federal judge yesterday sentenced a Chinese-born U.S. engineer to 24 years in prison for his role in supplying sensitive military technology to China, saying he was sending a message to China's intelligence services. Chi Mak, who was convicted of supplying U.S. Navy technology data to China, also was fined $50,000 by U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney, ending the case of a family spy ring. "We will never know the full extent of the damage that Mr. Mak has done to our national security," Judge Carney wrote in a statement filed for the sentencing… Mak, his wife, Rebecca Laiwah Chiu, his brother Tai Mak and Tai Mak family members Fuk Li and Billy Mak were arrested in 2005 as part of an investigation of a spy ring that funneled defense technology to China, including details of U.S. submarine and warship technology……(Washington Times, 25 Mar 08)

Taliban militants kill Afghan 'US spy' in Pakistan: official

Taliban militants shot dead an Afghan refugee in a Pakistani tribal area, accusing him of spying for US forces operating in neighboring Afghanistan, officials said Tuesday. A note left on the body of 40-year-old Abdullah Jan said he "met his fate because he was spying for the Americans,"…..(AFP, 25 Mar 08)

30-Year Sentence Sought in China Spy Case

Federal prosecutors want an electrical engineer to serve more than 30 years in prison for transferring submarine technology to the People's Republic of China. The 30-year, five-month term sought by the Justice Department likely would amount to a life sentence for Chi Mak, 67, who was convicted by a jury last year on five felony counts, including conspiring to export defense technology without a license and acting as an unregistered foreign agent…Judge Cormac Carney is scheduled to sentence Mak in Santa Ana, Calif., on March 24. Four of Mak's family members entered guilty pleas to related charges. Mak's wife, Rebecca Chieu, has agreed to serve three years and be stripped of her American citizenship. His brother, Tai, could get up to 10 years……(New York Sun, 11 Mar 08)

China spy case seen as warning

Accusations of economic espionage against Dongfan "Greg" Chung, an Orange resident and former Boeing Co.engineer, suggest he may have been only a minor player in Chinese efforts to obtain foreign space and military technology, experts said. The federal charges against Chung include stealing trade secrets about the space shuttle, the Delta IV rocket and the C-17 military cargo jet for the benefit of the Chinese government and aerospace industry... According to Chung's indictment, a Chinese government official wrote to Chung in 1987 suggesting that passing information though Mak was "faster and safer." In 1988, the same official wrote to Chung that Mak's wife was in China and had reported that the Maks and Chungs had a good relationship, the indictment said.......(OC Register, 20 Feb 08)

Plea Entered in China Secrets Case

…An indictment unsealed last week charges Dongfan "Greg" Chung, 72, with economic espionage, conspiracy, acting as a foreign agent, obstruction of justice and making false statements to the FBI. Chung, who is free on bail, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marc Goldman in Santa Ana. Goldman set a trial date of April 8…The case against Chung grew out of an investigation into another Chinese-American engineer who worked for a U.S. naval contractor in Anaheim. That engineer, Chi Mak, was convicted last year of conspiring to export U.S. defense technology to China and other crimes. He is awaiting sentencing……(AP, 19 Feb 08)

U.S. to deport relatives of Chinese-born engineer in export case

Federal immigration officials said Wednesday that they have arrested the sister-in-law and nephew of a Chinese-born engineer convicted of conspiring to export U.S. defense technology to China and intend to deport them to China. Fuk Li, 50, and her son, Billy Mak, 27, both pleaded guilty to federal offenses last year when they were arrested during an investigation into their relative, engineer Chi Mak. Because of their guilty pleas, they are eligible for deportation and will remain in custody until a hearing before a federal immigration judge, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Both came to the United States in 2001 from China. Li pleaded guilty to helping Chi Mak, an engineer of the Anaheim-based defense contractor Power Paragon, violate export control laws and was sentenced to probation. Her son pleaded guilty to the same charge, was sentenced to 11 months in prison and was given credit for time served…..(AP, 9 Jan 08)

Lawyers say prosecutors used veiled threats to discourage witness in conspiracy case

Lawyers for a Downey man convicted of trying to pass defense technology to China alleged today that prosecutors used veiled threats to discourage a potential defense witness from testifying. The allegation was made in federal court in Santa Ana as part of an effort to get a new trial for Chi Mak, 66, who faces up to 45 years in prison for conviction on five charges, including conspiracy to send information to China…..(North County Times, 8 Jan 08)

Plea bargain signed with psychiatrist accused of spying for Iran

The state prosecution on Tuesday signed a plea bargain with David Shamir, a psychiatrist in the IDF who was accused of espionage after he allegedly attempted to sell information to Iranian agents…..(Jerusalem Post, 8 Jan 08)

China Developing Scramjet Propulsion

…The Chinese allowed a peek into multiple aspects of their scramjet efforts at the recent American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Joint Propulsion Conference in Cincinnati. Chinese engineers from several research facilities presented about a dozen papers on their scramjet developments, as well as details on the new wind tunnel…The Cincinnati meeting differed from a traditional U.S. industry gathering, because nearly a dozen engineers from Iran also submitted papers on Iranian solid and liquid rocket technologies. The Iranian engineers are based at the Sharif University of Technology and the KNT Technical University, both in Tehran. They apparently did not deliver the papers in person. However, as participants, the Iranians have access to all of the highly detailed U.S. aircraft and rocket propulsion presentations made at the conference…Ironically, one the more interesting historical papers presented at the forum was a detailed description of how the U.S. Air Force and Lockheed combined top-secret ramjet propulsion technologies with segmented solid rocket boosters for the Mach 3 D-21B reconnaissance drones that were launched by modified SR-71s and B-52Hs in the late 1960s (see center photo). The D-21B was specifically developed to gather intelligence over China….(Aviation Week, 3 Sep 07)

Scramjet Conference Conundrum

An alert reader pointed out this interesting article in Aviation Week which raises the issue, which we last talked about in relation to the Chi Mak prosecution, of deemed exports at scientific conferences. The conference in question was an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics conference in July on propulsion technologies, including scramjet and related technologies….(Export Law Blog, 6 Sep 07)

Chi Mak Export Trial Begins

The trial of Chi Mak and other members of his family for export of ITAR-controlled technical data begins this week. An article on the upcoming trial by New York Sun reporter Josh Gerstein, who has been following this case with some care, has this interesting tidbit….(Export Law Blog, 26 Mar 07)

Prosecution Run A-Mak

Yesterday we commented on the argument by the prosecutors in the Mak trial that export of public domain technical data to an embargoed country, such as China, violates the Arms Export Control Act. Josh Gerstein, the intrepid New York Sun reporter covering the case, read our post and sent a copy of the government’s brief in which it makes that claim. The prosecution’s argument couldn’t be simpler and couldn’t be more wrong….(Export Law Blog, 27 Mar 07)

5th defendant in spy case pleads guilty

A Downey woman accused of being part of a ring that sent information about sensitive U.S. military technology to China pleaded guilty on the eve of her trial. Rebecca Chiu, 63, pleaded guilty Tuesday night to acting as an unregistered agent of China and agreed to serve 36 months in federal prison, said defense attorney Stanley Greenberg. Chiu, a naturalized U.S. citizen, also agreed to renounce her American citizenship, he said… She is the last defendant in a case involving five family members convicted of passing unclassified but sensitive data about U.S. naval technology to the Chinese. Chiu's husband, Chi Mak, was found guilty last month of conspiracy to violate export-control laws, attempting to violate export-control laws, acting as an unregistered agent for China and lying to the FBI. Mak, 66, is an electrical engineer who worked at an Anaheim-based defense firm. He will be sentenced in September and faces up to 45 years in prison…..(LA Times, 7 Jun 07)

Woman admits to acting as agent for China

In what a prosecutor called a "historic" plea, a Downey woman who is a naturalized U.S. citizen pleaded guilty Wednesday to acting as a foreign agent without registering with the United States government. Rebecca Chiu, 63, was set to go to trial Wednesday, but under an agreement reached late Tuesday night she will face a three-year prison term and voluntarily leave the country when she is released…..(Franklin City News, 7 Jun 07)

Plea Deal Ends China Tech Export Case

Rebecca Laiwah Chiu, 63, reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors late Tuesday on the eve of her trial on charges of conspiracy to export defense articles, failure to register as a foreign agent and making false statements to the FBI. Chiu instead pleaded guilty to one count of acting as a foreign agent without registering with the U.S. government and will serve three years in prison….(AP, 6 Jun 07)

Beijing Denies Spying Charges

China yesterday denied it was trying to steal US military secrets, one day after US federal prosecutors said three people had pleaded guilty to trying to send China sensitive data on submarine technology. “The idea of so-called Chinese theft of US military secrets is groundless and reflects ulterior motives,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters….(Agence France-Presse, 6 Jun 07)

Relatives of US engineer convicted of China spying plead guilty

Three relatives of a Chinese-American engineer convicted earlier this year of conspiring to smuggle sensitive naval intelligence data to China have pleaded guilty to related charges as part of a plea agreement….(Jurist, 6 Jun 07)

3 plead guilty in military data conspiracy

…Tai Mak, 57, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana to violating export-control laws. His wife, Fuk Heung Li, 49, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the violation of those laws. Their son, Billy Yui Mak, 26, pleaded guilty Friday to the same charge as his mother. All three live in Alhambra. Chi Mak, 66, of Downey, was found guilty May 10 after a six-week trial of acting as an unregistered agent for China, lying to the FBI, conspiracy to violate export-control laws and attempting to violate export-control laws. The trial of Chi Mak's wife, Rebecca Laiwah Chiu, 63, is scheduled to begin today. Chi Mak, a naturalized U.S. citizen, worked at Anaheim-based Power Paragon Inc., a firm with many Navy contracts. The FBI kept him under surveillance for 18 months using cameras, wiretaps and microphones hidden in his car and work cubicle…..(LA Times, 5 May 07)

Engineer's Family To Plead Guilty In Spy Case

Three family members of a Chinese-American engineer convicted last month of spying for China have agreed to plead guilty to charges stemming from an investigation into the transfer of submarine technology. A jury found Chi Mak guilty of conspiring to violate export laws, operating as a Chinese agent in America, and lying to the FBI. Mak's brother and sister in law, Tai Wang Mak and Fuk Li, and their son, Billy Mak, were set to go on trial today in Santa Ana, Calif…..(New York Sun, 5 Jun 07)

Spy sold submarine secrets to China

A Chinese-born engineer has been found guilty of conspiring to export US defense technology to Beijing - including data that would make it easier to detect submarines - as the FBI said Chinese spies had become the most active agents in the US. Prosecutors described Chi Mak, 67, as a brilliant sleeper agent who had been passing defense technology secrets to Beijing for more than 20 years. He will be sentenced on September 10….(Times, 14 May 07)

Engineer guilty in plot to give data to China

…Chi Mak, 66, was found guilty of helping provide China unclassified but export-controlled information, including data on a submarine electronic system and a quiet electronic propulsion system planned for future warships. Mak was found guilty of conspiracy to violate export regulations and for failing to register as a Chinese agent, after several days of deliberations. The trial lasted six weeks. Sentencing was set for Sept. 10, and Mak faces up to 35 years in prison. Mak at first showed no emotion when the verdict was read but then appeared to fight tears as defense attorney Marilyn Bednarski teared up and rubbed his back. Prosecutors dropped charges accusing Mak of exporting. They said Mak's brother Tai Mak was the courier in the spy ring and will face those charges in a later trial. The trial was the first in what U.S. officials say will be several cases involving a family spy ring that also included both Mak brothers' wives and Tai Mak's son Billy Mak. A second trial is set for June 5…..(Washington Times, 11 May 07)

Engineer in China case convicted

…Chi Mak, a naturalized citizen, was convicted of conspiracy to violate export control laws, attempting to violate export control laws, acting as an unregistered agent of the People's Republic of China, and lying to the FBI… Prosecutors described Mak as a sleeper agent who began preparing for his assignment in the U.S. in the 1960s, when he moved from China to Hong Kong, then a British colony. Federal agents said Mak admitted sending military-related documents to China and they found thousands of pages of the files in his home. "To the extent that there is Chinese espionage going on in the United States, I hope [the conviction] sends a strong message,"….(LA Times, 11 May 07)

Guilty verdict in US 'spy trial'

A US court has found a Chinese-born engineer guilty of conspiring to export sensitive defence technology to China. Chi Mak, 66, was also convicted of acting as a foreign agent and of making false statements to federal agents….(BBC, 11 May 07)

Engineer Guilty in Military Secrets Case

After a six-week trial, a federal jury convicted a Chinese-born engineer of conspiring to export U.S. defense technology to China, including data on an electronic propulsion system that could make submarines virtually undetectable…..(AP, 11 May 07)

Communist spy ring tried to steal Space Shuttle plans

…Chi Mak, a 66-year-old naturalised US citizen born in Guangdong Province, China, was found guilty of conspiracy to violate export regulations and of failing to register as a Chinese [import] agent after a six week trial. Mak had apparently supplied his brother Tai with quiet-drive related documents which were then put on disc in order to be taken to China. The documents were unclassified, but were proprietary and export-controlled. But at the last minute the feds stepped in, snapping the bracelets on Tai Mak and his wife at LAX in October 2005 as they were preparing to leave the US…..(Register, 11 May 07)

Downgraded O.C. 'spy' case goes to jury

The counterespionage operation was authorized by the top-secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court. FBI agents snapped photos of one suspected spy with cameras they had hidden in his house and mounted on light poles across the street and in his company's parking lot. In fall 2005, authorities dismantled what they said was a family spy ring that had been sending U.S. military secrets to China for two decades. Two alleged spies were arrested at Los Angeles International Airport before they could board a midnight flight to Guangzhou with encrypted information about U.S. warships. The arrests were followed by media reports fueled by government leaks that billed the investigation as a major espionage case. But what began as a spy thriller has morphed into a mundane prosecution of violations of federal export control laws. At the center of the spy ring…..(LA Times, 8 May 07)

Military secrets case against Chinese-born engineer goes to jury

…"The defendant was spying for China," Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian said Monday in closing arguments. "This man's life has been defined by one thing and that is hiding his connection to the People's Republic of China." The six-week case against Chi Mak, 66, a naturalized U.S. citizen, went to the jury later in the day after prosecutors claimed he took material from his employer and gave it to his brother to pass along to Chinese authorities…..(AP, 8 May 07)

Trial of Chinese-American engineer accused of defense exports nears close

…Authorities believe Mak, a naturalized U.S. citizen, took thousands of pages of documents from his employer, Power Paragon of Anaheim, and gave them to his brother, who passed them along to Chinese authorities for years. A jury is expected to get the case Monday after closing arguments. The six-week trial featured testimony from a parade of FBI agents, U.S. Navy officials, encryption and espionage experts and the 66-year-old engineer himself. If convicted, Mak could get more than 50 years in prison….(AP, 7 May 07)

Prosecutor zeroes in on accused engineer's lies

A federal prosecutor Thursday bore down on a Chinese American engineer's lies and contradictions in a case in which he is accused of illegally sending military information to China and being an intelligence agent….(LA Times, 4 May 07)

Prosecution Challenges Credibility of Accused Spy

The prosecution wasted no time yesterday in challenging the credibility of an accused Chinese spy, Chi Mak, who has denied he was trying to aid the Chinese government when he arranged to send disks containing submarine propulsion technology to China…Some of the most damning evidence against Mr. Mak may be notes found in his home and his brother's home, containing what seems to be a series of coded phrases. One phrase, "send a card," appeared next to the words "help your mother in law." Mr. Mak testified Wednesday that he got the list from his niece who said it could be used to communicate about her ailing mother in China without upsetting people…Mr. Mak's wife, brother, sister-in-law, and nephew have all been charged with conspiracy to illegally export defense articles. They are set to be tried later….(New York Sun, 4 May 07 )

Engineer in Export Trial Admits Lies

…Chi Mak, 66, also acknowledged during cross-examination that he lied repeatedly to FBI agents during an hours-long interrogation immediately after his arrest and that he lied on his U.S. immigration form years ago. He said he didn't realize at the time that making the copies was illegal. Authorities believe Mak, a naturalized U.S. citizen, took thousands of pages of documents from his employer, Power Paragon of Anaheim, and gave them to his brother, who passed them along to Chinese authorities for years….(AP, 3 May 07)

Prosecutor zeroes in on accused engineer's lies

A federal prosecutor Thursday bore down on a Chinese American engineer's lies and contradictions in a case in which he is accused of illegally sending military information to China and being an intelligence agent….(LA Times, 4 May 07)

Engineer denies confessing to giving data

The Chinese American engineer on trial for allegedly conspiring to send U.S. military technology information to China denied Wednesday government allegations that he confessed to providing sensitive data to his homeland's military. Under questioning by defense attorney Ronald O. Kaye, Chi Mak denied telling investigators that he had been sending information to China since 1983. Prosecutors said Mak confessed while he was interrogated in the Santa Ana City Jail two days after his arrest…..(LA Times, 3 May 07)

FBI Frets in Spy Case Over China

…While Russian and Eastern European spy agencies were known to rely on a few well-compensated recruits who employed cloak-and-dagger techniques to gather crucial secrets, China tends to seek a broad array of technology by relying on the sentiments and loyalties of Chinese-Americans and Chinese students in this country. One result is that the culpability of those involved can be harder to prove in court, especially beyond a reasonable doubt….Mr. Mak's defense has, that he was engaged in the ordinary exchange of ideas among scientists. Both men also complicated their prosecutions by arguing that the information was in the public domain or not well-protected. "These trials … basically end up putting corporations and the government on trial for failing to have stringent enough controls over the data,"…(New York Sun, 3 May 07)

Engineer denies sending data to China

…Chi Mak testified for about two hours, appearing relaxed and confident as he answered questions from defense attorney Ronald O. Kaye. Kaye wasted no time asking him about three computer disks that are at the heart of the government's case. Federal agents recovered the disks on Oct. 28, 2005, from his brother, who was trying to board a midnight flight to China with his wife at Los Angeles International Airport. "Did you give the three disks to Tai Mak in order to give them to the Chinese government?" Kaye asked. No, Mak said….(LA Times, 2 May 07)

Accused Chinese Spy Testifies in His Own Defense

Taking the witness stand in his own defense, an accused Chinese spy said yesterday that he was engaged in legitimate scientific exchange and not espionage when he sent technical papers on electrical systems for American submarines and Navy warships to China… Mr. Mak said he saw nothing wrong with sending the papers to China because they were handouts he got at engineering conferences where foreigners were present. "All three CDs contained presentation materials that were presented in conferences with international attendees already," Mr. Mak said. Encrypted files from the disks were found in the hand luggage of Mr. Mak's brother and sister-in-law when they were arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in October 2005 as they prepared to fly to China…..(New York Sun, 2 May 07)

Defendant testifies on alleged export of defense info to China

A Chinese-American engineer accused of conspiring to export defense technology materials to China took the witness stand in his federal trial Tuesday and denied he was trying to give information to the Chinese government….(Mercury News, 2 May 07)

Witnesses: Engineer did not need approval to export submarine propulsion system document to China

Testimony in the case of a Chinese-born engineer accused of stealing U.S. defense secrets focused on whether he needed government approval to export a document on a quiet submarine propulsion system to China. Authorities believe Chi Mak, a naturalized U.S. citizen, stole thousands of pages of defense documents from his defense contractor employer, Power Paragon, and gave them to his brother, who passed them along to Chinese authorities over a number of years. Chi Mak was arrested in 2005 in Los Angeles after FBI agents stopped his brother and sister-in-law as they boarded a flight to Hong Kong. Investigators said they found three encrypted CDs in their luggage containing documents on the propulsion system, which would make U.S. submarines virtually undetectable underwater….(AP, 27 Apr 07)   

Kesselring map evidence in espionage trial

…Chi Mak, 66, was accused of giving sensitive information to his brother, Tai Mak, who was found with encrypted disks in his luggage as he was returning to China. The case generated local interest because among Chi Mak's possessions, federal authorities said, was a hand-drawn map of the Kesselring nuclear site in the Saratoga County town of Milton. The Kesselring site, operated by Knolls Atomic Power Labs Inc., is home to several prototype nuclear reactors and is used by the Navy to train personnel how to operate nuclear submarines….(Times Union, 15 Apr 07)

Agent: Engineer Said He Passed Secrets

…Gunnar Newquist, a special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, played an hour of excerpts from a 4 1/2-hour, secretly videotaped interview done after the arrest of defendant Chi Mak in which he repeatedly denied passing sensitive military information to China…Newquist said Mak made his confession two days later during an untaped interview….(AP, 10 Apr 07)

U.S. Stance in Spy Case Sparks Concern in Academia

Concern about the government's aggressive legal stance in a Chinese espionage case is spreading from industry to academia, where some fear that the prosecution's position undermines a long-standing consensus about unfettered access to scientific research… The sharp reaction is to the Justice Department's arguments against a Chinese-born electrical engineer, Chi Mak, who is accused of conspiring to send data on submarine propulsion and other subjects to the Chinese government. Prosecutors have asserted that Mr. Mak cannot defend himself against the export control charges by arguing that the information was in the public domain. "If you take their line of argument, you can't have Chinese students at a university studying and learning information in a textbook,"…(New York Sun, 3 Apr 07)

China's Spying Overwhelms U.S. Counterintelligence

…Mak, his wife, brother, sister-in-law and nephew were indicted on charges of conspiring to export U.S. defense articles to China's government. In court papers, prosecutors say he copied submarine data from L-3's Anaheim, California-based Power Paragon unit onto compact discs and enlisted the other family members to encrypt the information and help smuggle it to China. Brenner says the disks also contained information on the U.S. Navy's next-generation DD(X) warship. Under questioning, Mak admitted sending information to Chinese operatives since 1983 on technology that included radar systems of Aegis cruisers, which are used to defend against multiple missile attacks….(Bloomberg, 2 Apr 07)

Japan sailor in possible Aegis spy case

A Japanese navy sailor is under investigation after a computer disc containing top-secret data on the Aegis destroyer was found at his home….(UPI, 31 Mar 07)

FBI: Mak had destroyer data

A federal agent testified Friday that investigators found a computer disk with sensitive details on the Navy's next generation of destroyers when they searched the home of a Chinese-American engineer accused of illegally sending technology information to China….(Press Telegraph, 30 Mar 07)

Accused spy's defense bolstered by e-mails

An attorney showed a jury e-mails Thursday that he said proved officials at an Anaheim defense firm knew that an engineer accused of illegally supplying military technology to China was going to present the information at a public symposium. Chi Mak, 67, is on trial in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, charged with 15 counts of conspiring to violate export laws, exporting or attempting to export defense information to China, acting as an agent of the Chinese government and lying to the FBI….(LA Times, 30 Mar 07)

Testimony resumes Friday in military secrets trial in Calif.

The FBI said it seized letters, photos and other evidence linking a Chinese-American engineer with a Chinese government official seeking secret information about the space shuttle….(AP, 30 Mar 07)

Surveillance Detailed in Engineer Trial

…One 1987 letter was addressed to a Boeing engineer who worked on the space shuttle program and requested information on the development of the space shuttle as China discussed commercial aircraft. The official, identified as Gu Wei Hao, then stated he would find a way to pay Chung cash in person for any expenses in collecting or purchasing information, and said he could convey any suggestions or information through Chi Mak. "This channel is much safer than others," the official wrote. The official identified Mak as a relative, and the letter stated that it was to be hand-delivered by Mak to Greg Chung, the Boeing engineer…..(AP, 29 Mar 07)

Man accused of spying for China on trial

…Chi Mak, 67, has been held without bail since his arrest on Oct. 28, 2005. His defense team denied that he did anything wrong and accused the government of building its case against him by overstating the evidence and portraying him as a spy when no classified information was given to China…..(LA Times, 29 Mar 07)

Prosecution: Spy Case Shows China's Effort To Steal U.S. Secrets

The career of a Chinese-born electrical engineer, Chi Mak, over four decades is a textbook example of how China's spy services encourage their agents to burrow into American society in order to steal America's defense secrets, federal prosecutors said yesterday. The picture of Mr. Mak as a dedicated and patient Chinese spy, along with an alternate image of him as a tireless and loyal developer of vital technologies for the American Navy, came as the government and the defense presented opening statements in one of the most significant China-related prosecutions ever to go trial in an American courtroom…..( New York Sun, 29 Mar 07)

US engineer on trial over military secrets for China

US engineer Chi Mak has went on trial on charges he exported US military submarine secrets to China…"Opening statements could begin later this week for a trial US District Judge Cormac Carney has said could run four to six weeks," said assistant prosecutor Greg Staples said….(Zee News, 28 Mar 07)

Jury selection set to begin Tuesday in military secrets case

Prosecutors cast engineer Chi Mak as a secret foreign agent who used his position at a U.S. defense contractor to steal military secrets for China. Defense attorneys say that is an exaggeration, that Mak is a devoted American who would never harm his adopted country….(AP, 27 Mar 07)

Engineer goes to trial in China military spy case

…Chi Mak, an electrical engineer who worked on some of the U.S. Navy's most sensitive high-tech weapons, goes on trial in a federal court in Santa Ana, Calif., on charges of conspiracy to export U.S. defense secrets to China, possession of property in aid of a foreign government and failure to register as a foreign agent….(Washington Times, 27 Mar 07)

Man accused of spying for China

As a top engineer at a major U.S. defense contractor, Chi Mak helped develop some of the most advanced and closely guarded naval technology in the world, including silent-running propulsion systems that can make submarines virtually undetectable. Now, in a case that experts say could have serious implications for U.S. security, the Downey resident is accused of stealing those secrets for the Chinese. Prosecutors say the Chinese-born Chi operated as a spy for China from 1983 until his arrest two years ago, stealing hundreds of documents about a number of defense systems, including the weapons, nuclear reactors and propulsion systems aboard U.S. submarines….(AP, 26 Mar 07)

Spies of all stripes have discovered that there is life after the Cold War

…Even though the Cold War is over, military espionage, at least, continues to thrive. In fact, it never slackened at all. Increasingly, foreign spies are hidden among us, recruited from among the more than 30 million foreign businessmen, scientists, students, researchers, academics, and tourists entering the United States each year. Take, for example, the case of Chi Mak, a Chinese-born electronics engineer working for a US defense contractor. According to the federal government, he was part of a family that spied together and apparently hoped to prosper together. The FBI has alleged that Mak, along with his wife and brother, can be heard on FBI wiretaps discussing ways to smuggle an encrypted computer disk to China….(Journal of Air Force Assoc., 5 Mar 07)