British man charged by US with spying for China

The Advertiser

2 days ago

A British man has been charged by the US with spying for China.
John Miller, 63, is accused of interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit interstate stalking, and conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act, the US Justice Department said.
The Justice Department said the US is seeking to extradite Miller from Serbia, along with his co-accused, Cui Guanghai, 43, of China.
Court documents released by the US Attorney's Office said the pair "solicited the procurement of US defence articles, including missiles, air defence radar, drones, and cryptographic devices with associated crypto ignition keys for unlawful export from the United States to the People's Republic of China".
The two men are said to have discussed ways to export a cryptographic device from the US to China, including concealing the device in a blender, and shipping the device first to Hong Kong.
It said they paid around $US10,000 ($A15,550) as a deposit for the cryptographic device via a courier in the US and a wire transfer to a US bank account.
The most serious offence they are accused of - violation of the Arms Export Control Act - carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The two men are also said to have been part of a plot to prevent an individual who had been critical of China's President Xi Jinping from protesting his appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in November 2023.
In the weeks leading up to the APEC summit, they are accused of co-ordinating an interstate scheme to conduct surveillance on the victim by installing a tracking device on his car and slashing its tyres.
"The defendants targeted a US resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime," Deputy US Attorney-General Todd Blanche said.
"This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on US soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defence systems," he said.
"We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge."
If convicted Miller could also face the maximum penalties of five years in prison for conspiracy, five years in prison for interstate stalking, and 10 years in prison for smuggling.
A British man has been charged by the US with spying for China.
John Miller, 63, is accused of interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit interstate stalking, and conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act, the US Justice Department said.
The Justice Department said the US is seeking to extradite Miller from Serbia, along with his co-accused, Cui Guanghai, 43, of China.
Court documents released by the US Attorney's Office said the pair "solicited the procurement of US defence articles, including missiles, air defence radar, drones, and cryptographic devices with associated crypto ignition keys for unlawful export from the United States to the People's Republic of China".
The two men are said to have discussed ways to export a cryptographic device from the US to China, including concealing the device in a blender, and shipping the device first to Hong Kong.
It said they paid around $US10,000 ($A15,550) as a deposit for the cryptographic device via a courier in the US and a wire transfer to a US bank account.
The most serious offence they are accused of - violation of the Arms Export Control Act - carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The two men are also said to have been part of a plot to prevent an individual who had been critical of China's President Xi Jinping from protesting his appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in November 2023.
In the weeks leading up to the APEC summit, they are accused of co-ordinating an interstate scheme to conduct surveillance on the victim by installing a tracking device on his car and slashing its tyres.
"The defendants targeted a US resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime," Deputy US Attorney-General Todd Blanche said.
"This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on US soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defence systems," he said.
"We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge."
If convicted Miller could also face the maximum penalties of five years in prison for conspiracy, five years in prison for interstate stalking, and 10 years in prison for smuggling.
A British man has been charged by the US with spying for China.
John Miller, 63, is accused of interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit interstate stalking, and conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act, the US Justice Department said.
The Justice Department said the US is seeking to extradite Miller from Serbia, along with his co-accused, Cui Guanghai, 43, of China.
Court documents released by the US Attorney's Office said the pair "solicited the procurement of US defence articles, including missiles, air defence radar, drones, and cryptographic devices with associated crypto ignition keys for unlawful export from the United States to the People's Republic of China".
The two men are said to have discussed ways to export a cryptographic device from the US to China, including concealing the device in a blender, and shipping the device first to Hong Kong.
It said they paid around $US10,000 ($A15,550) as a deposit for the cryptographic device via a courier in the US and a wire transfer to a US bank account.
The most serious offence they are accused of - violation of the Arms Export Control Act - carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The two men are also said to have been part of a plot to prevent an individual who had been critical of China's President Xi Jinping from protesting his appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in November 2023.
In the weeks leading up to the APEC summit, they are accused of co-ordinating an interstate scheme to conduct surveillance on the victim by installing a tracking device on his car and slashing its tyres.
"The defendants targeted a US resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime," Deputy US Attorney-General Todd Blanche said.
"This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on US soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defence systems," he said.
"We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge."
If convicted Miller could also face the maximum penalties of five years in prison for conspiracy, five years in prison for interstate stalking, and 10 years in prison for smuggling.
A British man has been charged by the US with spying for China.
John Miller, 63, is accused of interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit interstate stalking, and conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act, the US Justice Department said.
The Justice Department said the US is seeking to extradite Miller from Serbia, along with his co-accused, Cui Guanghai, 43, of China.
Court documents released by the US Attorney's Office said the pair "solicited the procurement of US defence articles, including missiles, air defence radar, drones, and cryptographic devices with associated crypto ignition keys for unlawful export from the United States to the People's Republic of China".
The two men are said to have discussed ways to export a cryptographic device from the US to China, including concealing the device in a blender, and shipping the device first to Hong Kong.
It said they paid around $US10,000 ($A15,550) as a deposit for the cryptographic device via a courier in the US and a wire transfer to a US bank account.
The most serious offence they are accused of - violation of the Arms Export Control Act - carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The two men are also said to have been part of a plot to prevent an individual who had been critical of China's President Xi Jinping from protesting his appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in November 2023.
In the weeks leading up to the APEC summit, they are accused of co-ordinating an interstate scheme to conduct surveillance on the victim by installing a tracking device on his car and slashing its tyres.
"The defendants targeted a US resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime," Deputy US Attorney-General Todd Blanche said.
"This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on US soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defence systems," he said.
"We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge."
If convicted Miller could also face the maximum penalties of five years in prison for conspiracy, five years in prison for interstate stalking, and 10 years in prison for smuggling.