Category: MIL-OSI

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Florida Telecommunications and Information Technology Worker Charged with Acting as Agent of PRC Government

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

An indictment was unsealed today charging Ping Li, 59, of Wesley Chapel, Florida, with conspiring to act as an agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without notification to the Attorney General and with acting as an agent of the PRC without notification to the Attorney General. If convicted, Li faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. 

According to the court documents, the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) is in charge of civilian intelligence collection for the PRC. The MSS often uses “cooperative contacts” located in countries outside of the PRC in furtherance of their intelligence goals, which include obtaining information concerning foreign corporate or industrial matters, foreign politicians or intelligence officers and information concerning PRC political dissidents residing in those countries. These cooperative contacts assist the MSS in a variety of ways, including by conducting research on topics of interest to the PRC that can be used to further the MSS’ mission.

The indictment alleges that Li was a U.S. citizen who immigrated to the United States from the PRC. At various times, Li worked for a major U.S. telecommunications company and an international information technology company.

From as early as 2012, Li allegedly served as a cooperative contact working at the direction of officers of the MSS to obtain information of interest to the PRC government. Li obtained a wide variety information at the request of the MSS, including information concerning Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy advocates, members of the Falun Gong religious movement, and U.S.-based non-governmental organizations, and to report that information to the MSS. Li also provided the MSS with information obtained from his employer. Li used a variety of anonymous online accounts for the purpose of communicating with the MSS, and traveled to the PRC to meet with the MSS.

For example, according to the indictment, in August 2012, an MSS officer requested that Li provide information about practitioners of Falun Gong and pro-democracy advocates in the United States. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a religious movement that originated in the PRC in the 1990s. Falun Gong is not one of the five religions formally recognized by the PRC government, and it has been banned since 1999. Its adherents both in China and abroad are of particular interest to the PRC government because of Falun Gong’s advocacy of ideas deemed subversive to the PRC government. Less than a week after receiving this request, Li sent the name and biographical information of an individual affiliated with Falun Gong residing in St. Petersburg, Florida.       

In March 2015, an MSS officer requested information from Li about branch offices that Li’s employer, a major U.S. telecommunications company, had opened in the PRC. Li responded with the requested information three weeks later.          

In March 2017, an MSS officer requested a training instruction plan from Li. In April 2017, Li responded indicating that he had uploaded materials to an online account that he shared with the MSS officer and asked the MSS officer to delete the materials after reading them.         

In May 2021, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning hacking events targeting U.S. companies, including a widely publicized hacking of a major U.S. company by the Chinese government. Within four days, Li responded with the requested information.      

In March 2022, an MSS officer requested from Li information concerning Li’s new employer, an international information technology company, as well as materials relating to cybersecurity training. That same day, Li sent the requested information about his employer as well as materials relating to cybersecurity training.          

In June 2022, an MSS officer requested from Li information concerning an individual who, according to the officer, had resided in the PRC but fled to the United States, and the name and suspected residential address in the United States of that individual. That same day, Li responded with information about the owners of that residential address.

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 made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Karyna Valdes for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Ohio Man Sentenced for Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Violation, Communicating Interstate Threats and Conspiracy

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

An Ohio man was sentenced today for threatening to destroy a reproductive health services facility in Columbus, Ohio, and for conspiring to commit money laundering.

Mohamed Waes, 33, was sentenced to 66 months in prison, three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $273,982.08 in restitution.

“This defendant threatened to burn down a reproductive health clinic in order to intimidate its employees from providing care to patients,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Using threats of violence to obstruct access to reproductive health care is simply unlawful. The Justice Department will continue to protect both patients seeking reproductive health services and providers offering those services, wherever and whenever these criminal violations occur.”  

“Threats of violence against healthcare providers and deception against our financial system are acts that must be punished in our courts of justice,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker for the Southern District of Ohio. “We will continue our unified vigilance against such actions and remain prepared to hold accountable those who commit them.”

“IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) enforces the nation’s tax laws, but also takes particular interest in cases where someone, for their own personal benefit, has taken what belonged to others. With both law enforcement and financial investigation expertise, our agents are uniquely qualified to assist state and federal law agencies with these types of cases by following the money,” said Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of IRS-CI’s Cincinnati Field Office. “Today’s sentencing is a reminder that there are real and damaging consequences for not only stealing money from small businesses, the lifeblood of the American economy, but also trying to hide the proceeds of the crime.”

Waes pleaded guilty on Feb. 9 to a misdemeanor charge under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits a person from intentionally interfering with or intimidating any person because that person is providing reproductive health services, and to a felony charge of communicating interstate threats. According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 5, 2022, Waes intentionally interfered with and intimidated employees of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio by threatening over the phone to burn down their building because they were providing reproductive health services.

Waes also previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, Waes attempted to launder a total of $1,972,792.84 in business email compromise fraud schemes proceeds, of which he successfully laundered $273,982.08. As part of this conspiracy, scammers created fake email domains which mimicked legitimate email domains and then sent emails to various companies impersonating vendors and asking that payments be made on actual invoices to bank accounts controlled by Waes and others.

The FBI Cincinnati Field Office and IRS-CI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Rausch and Peter K. Glenn-Applegate for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

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Defense News: Readout of Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti’s Meeting with Royal Singapore Navy’s Chief of Navy Rear Adm. Sean Wat

Source: United States Navy

 

Chief of Naval Operations Spokesperson Navy Cmdr. Desiree Frame provided the following readout:

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti met with the Royal Singapore Navy’s Chief of Navy, Rear Adm. Sean Wat in Perth, Australia while in town for the Indian Ocean Defense and Security (IODS) Conference, July 24.

The two leaders discussed Singapore’s participation in the ongoing Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise – which Singapore has been participating in since 2008 – and their ability to further expand high-end training and interoperability in this year’s exercise.

During their meeting the leaders also underscored the importance of ongoing efforts to expand bilateral force posture cooperation in Singapore to support deeper interoperability and demonstrate shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The U.S. and Royal Singapore navies frequently operate and train together, most recently commencing the multilateral exercise Cooperation Afloat Reading and Training (CARAT) Thailand last week.

The two leaders last met in April at the U.S. Pacific Fleet change of command in Pearl Harbor, HI.

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Defense News: AUKUS Navy Chiefs Strengthen Ties During First Tri-Lateral Visit to HMAS Stirling

Source: United States Navy

The Chiefs of Navy for Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States have strengthened their naval ties today, during a visit to HMAS Stirling in Western Australia.

Australia’s Chief of Navy, Vice Adm. Mark Hammond AO, RAN, hosted his international counterparts, the U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and the U.K. First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, Adm. Ben Key KCB CBE ADC, ahead of the Indian Ocean Defence and Security 2024 Conference in Perth this week.

The visit is the first time Franchetti and Key have visited HMAS Stirling, which will play a role in Australia’s future fleet of conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines. 

The three chiefs received a tour of the base’s facilities, followed by a meet-and-greet with Australian submariners on-board a Collins-class submarine.

They also signed a Statement of Intent for Lethality, which documents the three navies collective commitment to the enhanced lethality of their surface combatant and submarine fleets.

The visit finished with a showcase of the Royal Australian Navy’s most contemporary and cutting-edge autonomous systems capabilities.

The Royal Australian Navy’s Chief, Hammond said that today’s visit was a reminder of the power of the partnership between the three Navies.

“Our navies operate on shared behaviors, shared values, and a shared commitment to the success and security of the Indo-Pacific region,” said Hammond. “Today my counterparts and I reaffirmed our philosophy of putting our partnership into action and continue to build on the historic friendship between our Navies.” 

“Working together is how we get the best outcomes for our navies and nations, through personnel exchange programs and operational interchangeability at sea. Only this month we had our first Royal Australian Navy officers graduating from the Royal Navy’s Nuclear Reactor Course. This year our technicians have been training and learning unique skills with the U.S. Navy in Guam and embedded on-board the U.S. Submarine Tender, USS Emory S. Land (AS 39).”

The U.S. Navy’s Chief of Naval Operations, Franchetti said, “AUKUS is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring together the exceptional capabilities of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. We will continue to build on our relationship, strengths, and interoperability, while at the same time uplifting the industrial bases of our three countries. We will bring to bear the innovative spirit of our three nations while significantly bolstering our posture in the Indo-Pacific, contributing to security and stability, and maintaining the rules-based international order in this critical region and around the globe.”

The U.K. Royal Navy’s First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, Key said, “Building on longstanding, deep-rooted relationships, and reflecting the unique level of trust and cooperation between our countries, we celebrate the success of AUKUS thus far and look forward to continue the collective delivery on our commitment. AUKUS is a strategically important capability collaboration, allowing us to pool expertise to accelerate the development of cutting-edge defense capabilities in a way that we could not do alone. Alongside the USN, the RN is committed to ensuring the RAN can build on its proven experience of operating conventional powered submarines to be nuclear capable as well. We have recently welcomed RAN personnel onto our nuclear courses and to serve in our Astute class submarines and we look forward to sharing the next generation of SSNs in a collaborative build program which will shape our partnership for many decades to come.”

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Defense News: Navy Demonstrates ‘Game-Changing’ System to Rearm Warships at Sea

Source: United States Navy

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro has made TRAM one of his top priorities. In a speech at Columbia University in New York City in December 2022, the secretary set out the goal that, “during my tenure, we will set the Navy on track to deliver the game-changing capability to rearm our warships at sea. Being able to quickly rearm our warships’ vertical launch tubes at sea will significantly increase forward, persistent combat power with the current force. No longer will our combatants need to withdraw from combat for extended periods to return for vulnerable in-port reloading of weapon systems…. My intention is to perfect this capability and field it for sustained, persistent forward-strike capacity during wartime.”

The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and NSWC PHD team delivered on the secretary’s call for speed at the Sea-Air-Space Exposition in National Harbor, Maryland, in April, where Del Toro said, “The at-sea demonstration will take place later this year — an unheard-of pace for a capability with such revolutionary strategic potential. If we had waited to Program Objective Memorandum, or POM, for it, we wouldn’t see it demonstrated for at least another two or three years. Instead, we’re on track to begin fielding it in two or three years.”

The test’s execution underscored the versatility and rapid adaptability of the Navy’s sailors and engineers. Tim Barnard, director of the NAVSEA Technology Office (05T), praised the speed at which the sailors of the Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group and USS Chosin (CG 65) became acquainted with TRAM in order to execute the demonstration.

“This team has been remarkable,” Barnard said. “Without previous familiarity with TRAM, the sailors got spun up for this week’s shore demonstration with just a week of training. They understand TRAM is a game-changer that will allow our ships to reload missiles just like they refuel — using connected underway replenishment, steaming at speed and in open ocean.”

This week’s land-based test incorporated, for the first time, real-time analytics and direct monitoring through instrumentation, which facilitated real-time assessment and modifications that would otherwise take weeks or months. This unique approach will inform the upcoming at-sea demonstration and follow-on engineering updates.

Ryan Hayleck, technical director for NAVSEA 05T and technical lead for the demonstration, emphasized during the test that “as we introduce new improvements based on the sailors’ inputs this week and in the upcoming at-sea test, TRAM will only get better and faster from here. I am very excited to take TRAM to sea.”

NSWC PHD Commanding Officer Capt. Tony Holmes stressed the importance of the Navy’s support behind the test.

“NSWC PHD appreciates this opportunity to further such a critical and essential capability for the warfighter and the U.S. Navy, thanks to the efforts and focused interest of the secretary of the Navy,” Holmes said. “We look forward to continuing to work on the next steps.”

Technical Director Jeff Koe added that the resourceful spirit of NSWC PHD’s Underway Replenishment Team has demonstrated that innovation is alive and well in the Navy.

“Our enterprising teammates years ago saw the need to rearm surface ships at sea and took the initiative to design a way to materialize that vision,” Koe said. “Now, our Navy will benefit from that ingenuity as NSWC PHD and its partners bring TRAM to fruition.”

Rich Hadley, director of NSWC PHD’s underway replenishment division which designed TRAM, explained that “by solving key relative motion challenges, TRAM is a capability enabling reloading operations while underway in significant sea states. TRAM will greatly expand the fleet’s logistical flexibility, resilience, as well as volume and tempo of long-range fires.”

Thanking the NAVSEA-NSWC PHD leadership team and the sailors from the Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group and USS Chosin who carried out the demonstration, Steven Brock, senior adviser to the secretary of the Navy, noted the historic import of the occasion.

“This demonstration that you superbly delivered on the secretary’s aggressive timeline sends a powerful message,” Brock said. “This revolution in surface warfare will make our existing fleet even more formidable, both in sustained forward presence and lethality — and will create a powerful new near-term deterrent that will disrupt the strategic calculus of our adversaries.”

Hunter Stires, maritime strategist with the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, added, “TRAM will enable us to do the modern-day equivalent of firing two broadsides to the enemy’s one. The U.S. Navy’s very best are making this capability real.”

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About Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division
NSWC PHD is a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command and provides the U.S. Navy fleet with in-service engineering, test and evaluation, and product support for combat systems. The command is located at Naval Base Ventura County in California.