Geopolitics

Former Verizon employee pleads guilty to conspiring to aid Chinese spy agency

Ping Li gave the Chinese government information about the country’s hacking of a major U.S. company and cyber training materials, the DOJ said.

By Tim Starks

August 23, 2024

Security guards hold back the crowd during a distance running event to promote the 2008 Olympic Games in China in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. The Chinese government worked with the Ministry of State Security, the Ministry of Public Security and the armed forces to ensure security ahead of the Summer Olympics. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

A former Verizon employee pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring to serve as an agent of the People’s Republic of China, namely by using his job to send information about Chinese enemies to a spy agency there, as well as details related to cyber incidents.

Ping Li faces up to five years in prison for his contacts with the Ministry of State Security. He provided information on Chinese dissidents, pro-democracy advocates and members of the Falun Gong religious movement, as well as U.S.-based nonprofit organizations.

The Chinese-born, Florida-dwelling Li worked for Verizon for more than 20 years, according to his attorney, Daniel Fernandez.

Li exploited his position with the telecommunications company to provide the information via anonymous online accounts, but also traveled to China, according to the Justice Department. He sent details like the name and biographical information of a Falun Gong member and materials related to cybersecurity training upon request of the Chinese ministry.

“In May 2021, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning hacking events targeting United States companies, including a widely publicized hacking of a major United States company by the Chinese government,” according to the Justice Department. He delivered that information within four days.

When arrested, Li was charged with both acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government and conspiring to do so. If convicted on both charges, he would have served up to 15 years in prison.

Fernandez said the reduction to a single count indicates a “realization that this was not an egregious violation.” At the same time, Fernandez said, it “sends a message the government intended to send — you cannot provide information to foreign governments without getting authorization.”

“He made a major mistake of providing information to an individual he knew was an agent of the Chinese government,” Fernandez said. The person was someone “he grew up with in China and happens to be an agent for the Chinese government,” and Fernandez said he supplied that person “with innocuous information that was publicly available from Google.”