Chinese Businessman Charged With Trying to Steal GE Tech Secrets

A Chinese businessman in Hong Kong allegedly conspired to steal technology from General Electric to create his own startup company, the Justice Department said Feb. 26. The agency charged Chi Lung Winsman Ng with plotting with a GE engineer to steal trade secrets from the company to manufacture and sell “silicon carbide metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors,” or small electronic semiconductors. Ng and the engineer allegedly developed a business plan for their startup that they planned to present to potential Chinese investors for what they said would become a $100 million company. The Justice Department did not name the engineer. It said it has “no evidence that there was an illegal” technology transfer to any Chinese company and said it has not yet arrested Ng. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

A GE spokesperson said the company's “security systems” caught Ng's attempt to steal its technology. “GE has been closely cooperating with the FBI for some time on this matter,” the spokesperson said March 1. “At GE, we aggressively protect and defend our intellectual property and have processes in place for identifying these issues and partnering with law enforcement.”