The person at the center of this case
Six American companies targeted for trade secret theft and proprietary information
Cold Case · Open
12 years waiting · since 2014
GU CHUNHUI
Justice for Six American companies targeted for trade secret theft and proprietary information — the trail went cold in 2014, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1What is Gu Chunhui's current location and has he ever been apprehended or extradited?
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evidence
Lead #2What specific malicious email templates did Gu test, and are they still being used in other cyberattacks?
💡
clue
Lead #3Which of the six targeted American companies suffered the most significant trade secret losses?
On May 1, 2014, a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh indicted five People's Liberation Army officers, including Gu Chunhui, for a coordinated conspiracy to hack into American corporate computer networks and steal trade secrets and proprietary information. Gu's specific role involved testing malicious email messages and managing domain accounts used by the other conspirators to penetrate networks at six U.S. companies engaged in negotiations or disputes with Chinese state-owned enterprises. The case remains significant as a documented example of state-sponsored cyber espionage targeting American industrial and nuclear technology, with Gu's current whereabouts and apprehension status unknown.
Case
#630
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Department of Justice, Western District of Pennsylvania
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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.
👤
person
Lead #4Who were the other four PLA officers indicted alongside Gu, and what were their specific roles in the conspiracy?
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 Western District of Pennsylvania indicted Gu Chunhui and four other PLA officers on 31 criminal counts including computer fraud, unauthorized access, identity theft, economic espionage, and theft of trade secrets
Key Locations
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Case Information
Incident:May 1, 2014
Last Updated:October 29, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:May 1, 2014
Last Updated:October 29, 2026