An engineer employed by General Electric Co. was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday and charged with using sophisticated techniques to steal digital files on the company's turbine technology to benefit his interest in Chinese companies that compete with GE. U.S. Magistrate Christian F. Hummel ordered the engineer, Xiaoqing Zheng, 56, to remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
Prosecutors, in a statement, said that Zheng "Used an elaborate and sophisticated means to remove electronic files containing GE's trade secrets involving its turbine technologies. ... Zheng is alleged to have used to hide data files belonging to GE into an innocuous looking digital picture of a sunset, and then to have emailed the digital picture, which contained the stolen GE data files, to Zheng's email account."
The federal complaint indicates Zheng is also suspected of stealing the data files "On multiple occasions" dating back years.
The federal criminal complaint says that in 2014, Zheng "Downloaded more than 19,000 files from GE's computer network onto an external storage device, believed by GE investigators to have been a personal thumb drive."
Zheng previously told GE officials that he and his brothers own a technology company in Nanjing, China, that supplies parts for civil aviation engines, according to the federal complaint.
GE officials had reviewed Zheng's interest in that company and determined it may conflict with his employment here, but allowed him to continue working for GE. But federal investigators said they found that Zheng had an interest in multiple aviation technology companies in China - including some funded by the government - and that it appeared he was working on projects for those companies similar to the proprietary work that he does for GE. The complaint indicates that GE officials have been aware of Zheng's suspicious activities for years but took no serious action.
In 2014, corporate security officials at GE investigated Zheng's copying of more than 19,000 electronic files onto a thumb drive but were unable to determine what they contained.
https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/FBI-searching-house-in-Niskayuna-13122464.php
Prosecutors, in a statement, said that Zheng "Used an elaborate and sophisticated means to remove electronic files containing GE's trade secrets involving its turbine technologies. ... Zheng is alleged to have used to hide data files belonging to GE into an innocuous looking digital picture of a sunset, and then to have emailed the digital picture, which contained the stolen GE data files, to Zheng's email account."
The federal complaint indicates Zheng is also suspected of stealing the data files "On multiple occasions" dating back years.
The federal criminal complaint says that in 2014, Zheng "Downloaded more than 19,000 files from GE's computer network onto an external storage device, believed by GE investigators to have been a personal thumb drive."
Zheng previously told GE officials that he and his brothers own a technology company in Nanjing, China, that supplies parts for civil aviation engines, according to the federal complaint.
GE officials had reviewed Zheng's interest in that company and determined it may conflict with his employment here, but allowed him to continue working for GE. But federal investigators said they found that Zheng had an interest in multiple aviation technology companies in China - including some funded by the government - and that it appeared he was working on projects for those companies similar to the proprietary work that he does for GE. The complaint indicates that GE officials have been aware of Zheng's suspicious activities for years but took no serious action.
In 2014, corporate security officials at GE investigated Zheng's copying of more than 19,000 electronic files onto a thumb drive but were unable to determine what they contained.
https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/FBI-searching-house-in-Niskayuna-13122464.php
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