The person at the center of this case
Six American companies targeted in cyber espionage conspiracy
Cold Case · Open
12 years waiting · since 2014
GU CHUNHUI
Justice for Six American companies targeted in cyber espionage conspiracy — the trail went cold in 2014, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1What was Gu Chunhui's specific role in testing malicious emails and managing domain accounts for the conspiracy?
🔍
evidence
Lead #2What proprietary information and trade secrets related to nuclear plant designs were successfully stolen from the targeted companies?
👤
person
Lead #3Who were the other four PLA officers indicted alongside Gu Chunhui, and what were their individual specialties in the conspiracy?
On May 1, 2014, a federal grand jury in the Western District of Pennsylvania indicted five People's Liberation Army officers, including Gu Chunhui, for a coordinated cyber espionage campaign targeting six American companies. The conspiracy involved unauthorized computer access, theft of trade secrets including nuclear plant designs, and identity theft to gain competitive advantage during business negotiations with Chinese state-owned enterprises. The case remains significant as a documented example of state-sponsored cyber espionage, with Gu's role involving testing malicious emails and managing domain accounts used by co-conspirators.
Case
#630
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); U.S. Department of Justice
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More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
📍
location
Lead #4Which six American companies were targeted, and what were the details of their negotiations or legal actions with Chinese state-owned enterprises?
💡
clue
Lead #5How did the conspiracy operate between 2014 and the indictment date, and what evidence connected Gu to the malicious email testing activities?
Have information about any of these leads?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
Conspiring to Commit Computer Fraud; Accessing a Computer Without Authorization for the Purpose of Commercial Advantage and Private Financial Gain; Damaging Computers Through the Transmission of Code and Commands; Aggravated Identity Theft; Economic Espionage; Theft of Trade Secrets Caution: On May 1, 2014, a grand jury in the Western District of Pennsylvania indicted five members of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for 31 criminal counts, including: conspiring to commit computer fraud; accessing a computer without authorization for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain; damaging computers through the transmission of code and commands; aggravated identity theft; economic espionage; and theft of trade secrets. The subjects, including Gu Chunhui, were officers of the PRC’s Third Department of the General Staff Department of the People’s Liberation Army (3PLA), Second Bureau, Third Office, Military Unit Cover Designator (MUCD) 61398, at some point during the investigation.
The activities executed by each of these individuals allegedly involved in the conspiracy varied according to his specialties. Each provided his individual expertise to an alleged conspiracy to penetrate the computer networks of six American companies while those companies were engaged in negotiations or joint ventures or were pursuing legal action with, or against, state-owned enterprises in China.
They then used their illegal access to allegedly steal proprietary information including, for instance, e-mail exchanges among company employees and trade secrets related to technical specifications for nuclear plant designs. Gu tested malicious e-mail messages and also managed the domain accounts used by the others.
Timeline of Events
🕵️
2014-05-01
Federal Grand Jury Indictment
Grand jury in the Western District of Pennsylvania indicted five PLA officers, including Gu Chunhui, on 31 criminal counts including computer fraud, unauthorized access, economic espionage, and theft of trade secrets
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Case Information
Incident:May 1, 2014
Last Updated:April 29, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:May 1, 2014
Last Updated:April 29, 2026