⚖️ Biggest China spy cases ranked: Dongfan Chung, 188 months

Nvidia's board has "no reason to believe" secrets were compromised; China calls the claims smears. No charge against Huang is reported. 🗣️

By , business desk · Desk editor Laima Ērkšķe-Kreicberga · · 6 min read

Jensen HuangRANKEDPhoto: The White House · Public domain

Photo: The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Desaturated and cropped by MrScandal.

What we know

  • Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang wrote to employees on Sunday, "I was unfaithful to my wife," Fox News reported; the letter did not name the woman.
  • The New York Times reported that US intelligence officials determined Huang had a relationship with a Chinese business executive who was allegedly providing information to Beijing; China's foreign ministry called the allegation "unsubstantiated."
  • Nvidia's board opened an independent investigation and said it has "no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised."
  • The FBI said ex-Boeing engineer Dongfan Chung was sentenced in 2010 to 188 months for economic espionage and acting as an agent of China.
  • In 2021 a Justice Department spokesperson told MIT Technology Review the department had brought or resolved nine economic espionage prosecutions with a China link since November 2018.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang wrote to employees on Sunday, "I was unfaithful to my wife," Fox News reported, as the company's board opened an independent investigation into reports that he was the "target of a foreign intelligence effort." The New York Times reported that US intelligence officials determined he had developed a relationship with a Chinese business executive who was allegedly providing information to Beijing. China's foreign ministry called the spy allegation "unsubstantiated" and "nothing but smears." The board said it has "no reason to believe" that national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised. President Trump said, "I haven't heard he's done anything wrong." No charge against Huang appears in the reports.

So, the record. What has actually happened when US prosecutors charged people over China-linked secrets? MrMoney ranked the cases below by time ordered or served. The ledger is short on spies and long on paperwork.

The Justice Department's own count, given by spokesperson Wyn Hornbuckle to MIT Technology Review in 2021, was nine economic espionage prosecutions and seven theft of trade secrets cases with a China link since November 2018, plus 12 matters involving fraud on universities or grant-making institutions. In MIT Technology Review's database of 77 known China Initiative cases, 14 were talent-program cases alleging undisclosed affiliations. None of the 14 alleged that US intellectual property was transferred to China.

The ranking

01

Dongfan "Greg" Chung: 188 months

After a three-week bench trial, Judge Cormac Carney found the former Rockwell and Boeing engineer guilty of conspiracy to commit economic espionage, six counts of economic espionage, acting as an agent of China and lying to the FBI, the FBI said in February 2010. It said agents searching his home in September 2006 found more than 250,000 pages of documents. It also said the case grew out of the investigation of another engineer, Chi Mak, whom Carney sentenced in 2008 to more than 24 years for providing defense articles to China.

See the receipt (opens in a new tab)

"stop sending your spies here."

Judge Cormac Carney at Chung's sentencing, per the FBI release
02

Xiaodong Sheldon Meng: 24 months

Meng pleaded guilty in San Jose to one count under the Economic Espionage Act and one under the Arms Export Control Act; 34 other counts were dropped, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Judge Jeremy Fogel sentenced him in June 2008 to two years, three years of parole and a $10,000 fine. Prosecutors said he used military training software from Quantum3D in a demonstration to the Chinese navy. His lawyer said he was a salesman, not a spy.

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03

Meyya Meyyappan: 30 days

The former NASA senior scientist pleaded guilty in January 2021 to lying to the FBI and NASA about his role in China's Thousand Talents Program, Forbes reported. A federal judge in New York sentenced him to 30 days in prison and a $100,000 fine in June 2021. US Attorney Audrey Strauss said he had access to "sensitive and confidential" government technologies.

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04

Charles Lieber: two days

A jury convicted the former Harvard chemistry chair in December 2021 on six counts, including false statements to federal agents and false tax returns, Inside Higher Ed reported. Judge Rya Zobel sentenced him to time served, which was two days, plus two years of supervised release, six months of it at home. He was fined $50,000 and ordered to pay $34,000 to the IRS over about $200,000 he did not report. His lawyer told Nature, "We are grateful for the outcome."

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05

Franklin Tao: conviction reversed

Tao, a University of Kansas chemical engineering professor, faced 20 years in prison, Bloomberg reported in 2021. A jury convicted him in April 2022 of three counts of wire fraud and one of making a false statement. The judge threw out the wire fraud counts, and the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the last conviction on July 11, 2024, AP reported. The appeals court noted that the case began as an espionage case but that the FBI found no evidence of espionage in the end.

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06

Gang Chen: charges dropped

Judge Patti Saris dismissed a four-count indictment against the MIT professor in January 2022 at prosecutors' request, the Boston Globe reported. Prosecutors wrote that the government "can no longer meet its burden of proof at trial." Chen called the China Initiative "terribly misguided," and his lawyer said he "did not commit any of the offenses he was charged with."

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07

Anming Hu: acquitted

Judge Thomas Varlan acquitted the University of Tennessee professor of all fraud charges in September 2021, Axios reported, writing that "no rational jury could conclude that defendant acted with a scheme to defraud NASA." The Hill, citing the Knoxville News Sentinel, reported that an FBI agent admitted at trial to falsely accusing Hu of being a spy. A Justice Department spokesperson said, "We respect the court's decision, although we are disappointed with the result."

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What it adds up to

CaseOutcomeTime ordered or servedFine or repayment
Dongfan ChungFound guilty at bench trial: economic espionage, agent of China, false statements188 monthsNot stated in the FBI release
Xiaodong Sheldon MengPleaded guilty: Economic Espionage Act, Arms Export Control Act24 months$10,000 fine
Meyya MeyyappanPleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and NASA30 days$100,000 fine
Charles LieberJury verdict on six countsTwo days served, two years supervised release$50,000 fine, $34,000 to the IRS
Franklin TaoConviction reversed July 2024Time served before reversalNone reported
Gang ChenCharges dismissed January 2022NoneNone
Anming HuAcquitted September 2021NoneNone

Justice Department official Matthew Olsen said in February 2022 that the department was ending the China Initiative label, adding, "We're comfortable with where those cases are, and we continue to stand behind them," Politico reported. Forbes cited the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property's estimate that intellectual property theft costs the US economy $600 billion a year, with China the principal source. That is an estimate, not a finding in any case above.

On Huang, the next dates are scheduled. Martin Cid Magazine reported that Nvidia reports quarterly results on November 17 and that Huang is due before House committee chairs on November 18. Nvidia's board has not said when its investigation will finish.

Quick quiz · 3 questions

  1. On the record or still rumour?Huang wrote "I was unfaithful to my wife," and Nvidia's board opened an independent investigation.
  2. On the record or still rumour?Per-case company loss figures are not confirmed in the documents read.
  3. Which year?Wrote to staff that he was unfaithful to his wife and would cooperate fully with the board's investigation

More games on the record: Price Tag · Timeline

Earlier on file: Nvidia China chip smuggling cases: $2.5B alleged, 9 charged · Jensen Huang faces subpoena threat from House China committee · Nvidia hires Cuomo investigator Joon Kim to probe Jensen Huang

The Jensen Huang file

Last entry Nov 11, 2026
  1. Reported

    Rep. John Moolenaar said Congress is prepared to subpoena Huang, with a Wednesday deadline on a briefing request, Bloomberg reported. Jensen Huang faces subpoena threat from House China committee

  2. Admitted

    Huang told employees in a memo that he was unfaithful to his wife and said he supports the investigation, per BBC News. Nvidia hires Cuomo investigator Joon Kim to probe Jensen Huang

  3. Admitted

    Wrote to Nvidia employees, "I was unfaithful to my wife"; the letter did not name the woman, Fox News reported. This story

  4. Admitted

    Wrote to staff that he was unfaithful to his wife and would cooperate fully with the board's investigation. Nvidia board opens Jensen Huang probe; shares seen 4% lower

  5. Reported

    CNBC reported three House Republican chairs asked Huang for a closed-door briefing on Nov 18. Congress presses Nvidia's Jensen Huang over Megaspeed claims

  6. Reported

    Axios reported congressional scrutiny of Huang and a Nov 11 deadline set by House chairs to schedule a briefing. Congress presses Nvidia's Jensen Huang over Megaspeed claims

  7. Reported

    Three House Republican committee leaders asked him to brief them on Nov 18 and reply by Nov 11, per the BBC. Nvidia board opens Jensen Huang probe; shares seen 4% lower

On file: The Jensen Huang file · The Nvidia file

The Ledger

On the record

  • Dongfan Chung was sentenced to 188 months for economic espionage; later China-linked cases here ended in short sentences, dismissals or acquittals.
  • Huang wrote "I was unfaithful to my wife," and Nvidia's board opened an independent investigation.

Still rumour

  • The intelligence claims about Huang come from officials quoted anonymously by newspapers; no charge is reported and China calls them smears.
  • Per-case company loss figures are not confirmed in the documents read.

That's the record. The rest is rumour. - MrMoney

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