A former Google software engineer has been convicted by a federal jury in the United States for stealing thousands of confidential documents related to artificial intelligence technology with the intent to benefit a startup company in China. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the verdict on Thursday, marking a significant conclusion to a high-profile case concerning corporate espionage and the protection of advanced technological trade secrets.
Linwei Ding, also known as Leon Ding, was found guilty on four counts of federal trade secret theft. The 38-year-old Chinese national was accused of illicitly transferring sensitive information from Google’s internal systems over a period of more than a year. The stolen material pertained to the architecture and functionality of the supercomputing data centers used to train and run large AI models.
Details of the Theft and Investigation
According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, Ding began uploading confidential files from his Google-issued laptop in May 2022, shortly after he was offered the position of chief technology officer at an early-stage technology company in China. The DoJ stated that he meticulously copied over 500 unique files containing critical trade secrets. The information taken included detailed specifications for the hardware infrastructure and software platform that underpins Google’s advanced AI research and development.
Prosecutors detailed that Ding took steps to conceal his activities. He allegedly copied data from Google source files into the Apple Notes application on his company laptop, then converted the notes to PDF files and uploaded them to a separate personal Google account. This method allowed him to avoid detection by systems monitoring direct downloads from Google’s network. He continued this pattern of data exfiltration until his conduct was uncovered in late 2023.
Charges and Legal Proceedings
The charges against Ding were not limited to theft. He was also convicted of economic espionage, with prosecutors successfully arguing that he stole the proprietary information with the specific intent to benefit a foreign nation, namely China. The startup he joined, which was not named in the DoJ announcement, was focused on developing AI-powered large language models, a field directly competitive with Google’s core business interests.
Ding was initially arrested in Newark, California, in March 2024. The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office, with assistance from Google’s internal security teams. The company cooperated fully with the federal investigation after discovering the suspicious data transfers.
Official Statements and Broader Context
Following the conviction, U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey for the Northern District of California emphasized the seriousness of the crime. “This former Google employee stole detailed information about the advanced technology developed by his employer to power its AI processors,” Ramsey stated. He described the theft as a “brazen theft” of intellectual property that took years to develop.
FBI Director Christopher Wray connected the case to a wider pattern of threats. “The theft of innovative technology and trade secrets from American companies can cost jobs and have devastating economic and national security consequences,” Wray said. He noted that the FBI will continue to aggressively investigate such crimes that aim to undercut U.S. economic vitality and security.
The case occurs against a backdrop of heightened tension and competition between the U.S. and China in the critical field of artificial intelligence. Both nations are investing heavily in AI research, viewing it as essential for future economic and strategic advantage. Incidents of intellectual property theft have been a persistent point of contention.
Sentencing and Next Steps
Linwei Ding now awaits sentencing. Each count of federal trade secret theft carries a potential maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The economic espionage charges carry even stiffer penalties, with a maximum of 15 years imprisonment and a $5 million fine per count. The final sentence will be determined by a federal judge at a later hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.
The conviction is expected to be closely examined within the global technology industry, particularly by multinational firms with significant research and development operations. It highlights the ongoing challenges companies face in securing their most valuable digital assets from insider threats, even as they operate across international borders. The sentencing phase will provide a final measure of the legal consequences for such actions under U.S. law.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
