The person at the center of this case
Six American companies engaged in negotiations or joint ventures with Chinese state-owned enterprises
Cold Case · Open
12 years waiting · since 2014
WANG DONG
Justice for Six American companies engaged in negotiations or joint ventures with Chinese state-owned enterprises — the trail went cold in 2014, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
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suspect
Lead #1Wang Dong - PLA officer, Third Department of General Staff Department, Military Unit 61398, responsible for controlling victim computers in the conspiracy
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evidence
Lead #2Stolen proprietary information included e-mail exchanges among company employees and technical specifications for nuclear plant designs from American companies
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clue
Lead #3Why were these specific six companies targeted, and what was the strategic value of the nuclear plant design information to Chinese state interests?
On May 1, 2014, a federal grand jury in Pennsylvania indicted Wang Dong and four other People's Liberation Army officers for a sophisticated computer espionage campaign targeting six American companies. The conspiracy involved unauthorized access to corporate networks, theft of trade secrets including nuclear plant designs, and identity theft conducted by military hackers based in China. The case remains significant as a documented example of state-sponsored cyber espionage and highlights ongoing concerns about foreign intelligence operations targeting U.S. commercial interests.
Case
#629
Western District of Pennsylvania (jurisdiction); Target companies across United States
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); 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.
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location
Lead #4Military Unit Cover Designator (MUCD) 61398 - the PLA unit from which the conspiracy was coordinated
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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 Wang Dong, 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. Wang controlled victim computers.
Timeline of Events
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2014-05-01
Federal Grand Jury Indictment
Grand jury in Western District of Pennsylvania indicted Wang Dong and four PLA officers on 31 criminal counts including computer fraud, unauthorized computer access, identity theft, economic espionage, and theft of trade secrets
Case Information
Incident:May 1, 2014
Last Updated:October 30, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:May 1, 2014
Last Updated:October 30, 2026