Thread by @MissMaga2016

Hongjin Tan, a Chinese national who is now a legal US resident, pleaded guilty to stealing trade secrets from his employer, Phillips 66.

Tan was employed there as a scientist (Thousand Talents Program, anyone?) and worked in a group developing next gen battery technologies,

https://twitter.com/USAO_NDOK/status/1194366306084147202

The DOJ did not mention the employer, but doing a simple search found it was Phillips 66.

okenergytoday.com/2019/04/may-tr…

Tan copied & then downloaded stolen files related to research and development onto a thumb drive and then resigned.

Here's the original criminal complaint.

Tan was still a citizen of #China when he was hired, but became a legal US resident at some point between then and when he was arrested.

justice.gov/opa/press-rele…

Tan stole the files, gave two weeks notice, and said he was going back to China. He told them he didn't have any job offers yet, but was negotiating with (no surprise) battery companies in China.

Oh look....he accessed all sorts of research reports, including reports on how to make the company's product and how the company was marketing their product in China and in "cell phone and lithium-based battery systems."

Tan was planning on going to work for a competitor in China, though that company isn't named.

The article I linked above said it was a company that also manufactured batteries.

Here's another article with some further info on Tan. including other places he worked while here:

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Contour Energy Systems, Liox Power & a "visiting Scientist" at CalTech.

Wonder what else he might have stolen along the way.

news.clearancejobs.com/2019/02/06/ins…