Latest news with #JohnMiller
The Guardian
12 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
British businessman accused of plotting to smuggle US military technology to China
A British businessman has been indicted in the US with attempting to traffic sensitive American military technology to China and silence a critic of the Chinese president. John Miller, 63, was named by US authorities at the weekend after his arrest in Serbia, where he is facing extradition in connection with an FBI investigation. The Mail on Sunday reported that he was from Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Both he and a Chinese man, Cui Guanghai, are wanted in the US on charges relating to conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and conspiracy, smuggling and violations of the Arms Control Act. Both were named in US court documents, which included allegations that they had discussed ways to smuggle encryption technology out of the US and into China. The documents allege they paid a $10,000 deposit for a cryptographic device via a courier in the US. The same documents also allege that, beginning in November 2023, they had sought to purchase 'US defense articles, including missiles, air defense radar, drones, and cryptographic devices' for unlawful export to China. The alleged plot involved them having discussions with other people – identified in the US court documents as 'Individual 5' and 'Individual 6' – about smuggling the encryption technology in small electronics, a blender and a motor starter. Miller is also accused with Cui of plotting with two other individuals to prevent a US resident from protesting against the Chinese president Xi Jinping's attendance at the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) summit in Los Angeles in November 2023. The alleged target was said to have previously made public statements in opposition to the policies and actions of the Chinese government and President Xi. In the weeks leading up to the Apec summit, Cui and Miller are alleged to have directed and coordinated a plot to surveil the victim, install a tracking device on their car, slash the tyres on their car and then purchase and destroy a pair of artistic statues created by the victim depicting President Xi and his wife. Unbeknownst to Cui and Miller, the two individuals with whom they had allegedly conspired in relation to this were 'acting at the direction of the FBI'. In spring last year, the alleged victim announced that he planned to make public an online video feed depicting two new artistic statues of President Xi and his wife. Miller and Cui are alleged to have paid two other individuals, who were also working with the FBI, approximately $36,500 to convince the alleged victim to desist from the online display of the statues. The US deputy 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.' The FBI deputy director, Dan Bongino, said: 'The defendants allegedly plotted to harass and interfere with an individual who criticised the actions of the People's Republic of China while exercising their constitutionally protected free speech rights within the United States of America.' Miller, a permanent US resident, and Cui were named in indictments returned by federal grand juries in Milwaukee and Los Angeles. Miller was arrested in Belgrade on 24 April. If convicted they face maximum penalties of five years in prison for conspiracy, five years in prison for stalking, 20 years in prison for violation of the US Arms Export Control Act and 10 years in prison for smuggling. The US Department of Justice said it was coordinating with Serbian authorities regarding the pending extraditions of Cui and Miller from Serbia.
ITV News
15 hours ago
- ITV News
'Blatant assault on national security': British man charged in US with spying for China
John Miller, 63, has been charged in the U.S. with spying after allegedly trying to smuggle American military technology to China.
Telegraph
16 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
British businessman ‘spied for Beijing and tried to smuggle weapons into China'
A British businessman tried to smuggle missiles and drones into China and attempted to silence critics of Xi Jinping, according to an indictment. John Miller is accused of spying for the Chinese Communist Party and faces extradition to the US after his arrest in Serbia. The 63-year-old allegedly referred to Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, as 'The Boss' in intercepted phone calls and conducted surveillance on an artist who created statues mocking the country's leader. In April, Mr Miller was arrested along with 43-year-old Chinese national Cui Guanghai, in Belgrade, Serbia, on the orders of the FBI and is now awaiting extradition to the US where he could be jailed for 20 years. Over two and a half years, Mr Miller and Mr Cui allegedly employed a wide range of tactics to harass, intimidate, stalk and threaten a Los Angeles resident, known only as 'the victim', who is a public critic of President Xi. 'As alleged, 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,' said Todd Blanche, the US deputy attorney general. Mr Miller is a long-time resident of the US, but also owns a £1.5 million home in Tunbridge Wells in Kent. Companies House records show Mr Miller has held roles in at least five UK companies, including TEFL Jobs China Ltd, which seemed to facilitate English language teaching jobs, but is now dissolved. 'Couldn't have gone better' A few months before the case began in June 2023, Mr Miller went to China where he met with Chinese government officials in Beijing and Liaoning, a province in north-east China that borders North Korea. He also met someone who works for the governor of Liaoning. During the trip, Mr Cui reportedly introduced Mr Miller to two people, who Mr Miller later referred to as 'big mother------s.' Upon his return, he reportedly boasted that 'the trip couldn't have gone better'. The first incident referred to in the indictment occurred shortly after he returned. In October 2023, Mr Miller and Mr Cui approached two individuals who, unbeknownst to them, were working for the FBI. They enlisted the undercover agents to stop 'the victim' from protesting against Xi's appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit the following month. Mr Miller and Mr Cui allegedly installed tracking devices on 'the victim's' car and paid the undercover agents to slash their tires. Mr Miller and Mr Cui also devised a complex plan to destroy a set of statues created by 'the victim'. These depicted President Xi and his wife bare-chested, kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs, and were potentially going to be displayed at a protest. The 'victim' had previously displayed the statues in Times Square electronic billboards and broadcast the display on X, according to court documents. Initially, Mr Miller had wanted to steal the statues and 'remove the heads' as evidence, but later decided to pay the undercover FBI agents to 'smash up' them up. In 2025, Mr Miller paid the agents $36,500 (£27,100) to convince 'the victim' to desist from showcasing the new statues at an upcoming protest, after 'the victim' had displayed the statues on a 24-hour live feed online. Beyond the intimidation schemes, Mr Miller also allegedly tried to purchase millions of pounds worth of military equipment on behalf of the Chinese military. 'The big boss' Mr Miller reportedly tried to buy a £37,000 Stinger portable missile launcher, two military drones valued at £148,000, a £668,000 AGM-88E anti-radiation missile system and a £1.5 million air-defence radar system. He also allegedly tried to procure a cryptographic device, which is used for secure communication of classified and sensitive information. At one point, the Briton suggested that the device be smuggled from the US to China by hiding it inside a food blender or a motor starter, having shipped it first via DHL or FedEx to Hong Kong, according to court documents. Several times in Mr Miller's conversations, he mentions a 'boss' or at times a 'big boss' that seems to be the one giving orders. According to the special FBI agent who submitted the affidavit, Mr Miller's use of the phrase 'boss' 'refer[s] to President Xi' and 'demonstrates [Miller's] awareness that he was acting at the direction and control of the [Chinese] government.' Mr 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. 'We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge.' Bill Essayli, attorney for the Central District of California, said: 'The indictment alleges that Chinese foreign actors targeted a victim in our nation because [they] criticised the Chinese government and its president. 'My office will continue to use all legal methods available to hold accountable foreign nationals engaging in criminal activity on our soil.' Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said: 'The FBI will not tolerate transnational repression targeting those in the United States who express dissenting opinions about foreign leaders. 'Both defendants face serious stalking charges in Los Angeles and my office intends to hold them accountable for bullying a victim, a critic of the PRC [People's Republic of China], and targeting him with violence.' If convicted, Mr 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.
ITV News
18 hours ago
- Politics
- ITV News
British man charged in US with spying for China
A British man, from Tunbridge Wells, has been charged in the US with spying after allegedly trying to smuggle US military technology to China. John Miller, 63, is accused of interstate stalking, conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act. The Justice Department said the US is seeking to extradite Mr 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 tried to get hold of missiles, air defence radar and drones for unlawful export to China. It said they paid around 10,000 dollars (£7,400) as a deposit for the equipment via a courier in the US and a wire transfer to a US bank account. 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. 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 Cooperation (Apec) summit in November 2023. In the weeks leading up to the Apec summit, they are accused of coordinating an interstate scheme to conduct surveillance on the victim by installing a tracking device on his car and slashing its tyres. Another offence relates to the spring of this year, when the dissenter announced that he planned to make public an online video feed depicting two new artistic statues of Mr Xi and his wife. In connection with these plots, the accused are said to have paid two other individuals approximately 36,500 dollars (£27,010) to convince the victim to desist from the online display of the statues. These two individuals were affiliated with and acting at the direction of the FBI. Deputy attorney general Todd Blanche said: 'As alleged, 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. '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. 'We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge.'US attorney Bill Essayli, for the Central District of California, said: 'The indictment alleges that Chinese foreign actors targeted a victim in our nation because he criticised the Chinese government and its president. 'My office will continue to use all legal methods available to hold accountable foreign nationals engaging in criminal activity on our soil.' Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said: 'The FBI will not tolerate transnational repression targeting those in the United States who express dissenting opinions about foreign leaders. 'Both defendants face serious stalking charges in Los Angeles and my office intends to hold them accountable for bullying a victim, a critic of the PRC (People's Republic of China), and targeting him with violence.' If convicted Mr 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.
The Independent
20 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
British man charged with spying for China in US military technology smuggling plot
A British man has been charged with spying for allegedly trying to smuggle "sensitive American military technology" to China. The US Justice Department said John Miller, who is from Tunbridge Wells in Kent, is accused of interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit interstate stalking, and conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act. The Justice Department added that the US is seeking to extradite Mr Miller from Serbia, along with his co-accused, Cui Guanghai, 43, of China. The most serious offence they are accused of – violation of the Arms Export Control Act – carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. According to the Mail on Sunday, a neighbour said Mr Miller, 63, often travelled to the Far East for work. Court documents released by the US Attorney's Office said the pair 'solicited the procurement of US defence articles, including missiles, air defense 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 pair reportedly 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. Court documents said they paid around 10,000 dollars (£7,400) as a deposit for the cryptographic device via a courier in the US and a wire transfer to a US bank account. 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 Cooperation (Apec) summit in November 2023. In the weeks leading up to the Apec summit, they are accused of coordinating an interstate scheme to conduct surveillance on the victim by installing a tracking device on his car and slashing its tyres. Another offence relates to the spring of this year, when the dissenter announced that he planned to make public an online video feed depicting two new artistic statues of Mr Xi and his wife. In connection with these plots, the accused are said to have paid two other individuals approximately 36,500 dollars (£27,010) to convince the victim to desist from the online display of the statues. These two individuals were affiliated with and acting at the direction of the FBI. Deputy attorney general Todd Blanche said: 'As alleged, 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. '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. 'We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge.' US attorney Bill Essayli, for the Central District of California, said: 'The indictment alleges that Chinese foreign actors targeted a victim in our nation because he criticised the Chinese government and its president. 'My office will continue to use all legal methods available to hold accountable foreign nationals engaging in criminal activity on our soil.' Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said: 'The FBI will not tolerate transnational repression targeting those in the United States who express dissenting opinions about foreign leaders. 'Both defendants face serious stalking charges in Los Angeles and my office intends to hold them accountable for bullying a victim, a critic of the PRC (People's Republic of China), and targeting him with violence.' If convicted Mr 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.
