Wesley Chapel resident and telecommunications worker Ping Li has pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an unauthorized agent of the People's Republic of China, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida. Court documents outline how Li, 59, assisted China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) by providing information on a range of subjects including Chinese dissidents, pro-democracy activists, and even proprietary information from U.S. companies, for a period extending nearly a decade.
As part of the intelligence-gathering efforts, Li, admitted to relaying details about individuals affiliated with Falun Gong, a spiritual practice banned in China, and pro-democracy advocates in the U.S. to the PRC government. Court filings revealed that he had served as a "cooperative contact" since at least 2012 under the direction of MSS officers. Li fulfilled various tasks for the MSS, such as gathering information from his employers, which included a major U.S. telecommunications company and an international information technology company, and he reported back using, a variety of anonymous online accounts.
A striking example of Li's activities was recorded in August 2012, when an MSS officer requested information on Falun Gong practitioners in the United States. Within less than a week of receiving the request, Li provided the biographical information of an individual in St. Petersburg, Florida. His responses to these requests were prompt, sometimes occurring on the same day as the request from an MSS officer, demonstrating his active engagement in these espionage activities.
The guilty plea carries a significant weight, with the potential for Li to face up to five years in prison, as indicated by the assistant attorneys handling the prosecution. This case is not isolated, it reflects ongoing concerns about international espionage and the theft of intellectual property from American enterprises. The announcement about Li's plea was made by Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division, Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch, and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida.
