An electrical engineer in California has been convicted for his role in a scheme to export sensitive electronics with military uses to China, the US Department of Justice announced Tuesday.

A federal jury last week found part-time Los Angeles resident Yi-Chi Shih, 64, guilty of multiple charges as part of the scheme to steal integrated circuitry from an American company that cannot be exported without Commerce Department authorization, the department said in a statement.

Shih's conviction comes amid heightened scrutiny of Chinese academics on American campuses, part of a climate of hardening mistrust between Beijing and Washington, which has accused China of systematic industrial espionage.

Local media reported that Shih was a part-time professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

A co-defendant, Kiet Ahn Mai of Pasadena, California, pleaded guilty in December.

Federal prosecutors say Shih improperly accessed the web portal of the unnamed US company to acquire design services and other items for so-called monolithic microwave integrated circuits, or MMICs.

Such technology has both commercial and military applications and is used in missiles, missile guidance systems, fighter jets, radar and electronic warfare, according to the Justice Department.

Semiconductor chips were then shipped to a Chinese company called Chengdu GaStone Technology, which was in the process of building an MMIC factory and of which Shih had served as president.

The Commerce Department placed CGTC on its "entity list" in 2014, declaring it a national security threat and requiring prior authorization for sales of American technology to the company.

After a six-week trial, Shih was convicted in Los Angeles on June 26 of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, mail fraud, wire fraud, false tax returns, false statements to a government agency and conspiracy to commit cybertheft, according to the Justice Department.

A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Related Links
Cyberwar - Internet Security News - Systems and Policy Issues

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Trump move to ease Huawei sanctions sparks anger, confusion
Washington (AFP) July 1, 2019
The US trade war truce with China which could ease sanctions on Huawei has prompted a backlash from lawmakers over national security concerns amid confusion over how the deal may impact the Chinese tech giant. In the weekend agreement with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to resume negotiations and hold off on new tariffs, US President Donald Trump suggested a potentially softer position on Huawei, a sticking point in the trade war. White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said Sunday there's ... read more