The person at the center of this case
Six American companies (victims of computer fraud and trade secret theft)
Cold Case · Open
12 years waiting · since 2014
WEN XINYU
Justice for Six American companies (victims of computer fraud and trade secret theft) — the trail went cold in 2014, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1Wen Xinyu - PLA officer who controlled victim computers; what is his current location and status?
🔍
evidence
Lead #2Stolen proprietary information and trade secrets from six American companies; have all stolen materials been recovered or identified?
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clue
Lead #3Nuclear plant design specifications were among the targeted trade secrets; which companies and facilities were compromised?
On May 1, 2014, a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh indicted five People's Liberation Army officers, including Wen Xinyu, for a sophisticated computer espionage conspiracy targeting six American companies. The accused allegedly hacked into corporate networks to steal proprietary information and trade secrets, including nuclear plant designs, while those companies negotiated with Chinese state-owned enterprises. The case remains significant as a landmark prosecution of foreign military cyber espionage, highlighting ongoing threats to American industrial secrets and the need for continued vigilance in corporate cybersecurity.
Case
#633
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.
👤
person
Lead #4Four other indicted PLA officers - have any been apprehended or extradited to face U.S. justice?
⏰
timeline
Lead #5Investigation timeline unclear - when did the hacking conspiracy begin and when was it discovered?
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 Wen Xinyu, 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. Wen controlled victim computers.
Timeline of Events
🕵️
2014-05-01
Federal Indictment
Grand jury in Western District of Pennsylvania indicted five PLA officers including Wen Xinyu on 31 criminal counts for computer fraud, espionage, and theft of trade secrets
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:May 1, 2014
Last Updated:September 9, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:May 1, 2014
Last Updated:September 9, 2026