US citizen pleads guilty to spying for the People’s Republic of China – agent was tasked with stealing information from the Justice Department to help launch a cyberespionage campaign

US citizen Thomas Pauken pleads guilty to spying for China
Acted as a paid intermediary collecting sensitive information in the United States
Faces up to 10 years in prison; sentencing set for September 2026

A 50-year-old American citizen has pleaded guilty to spying for China and against the United States of America and now faces a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

An announcement posted on the US Department of Justice (DoJ) website indicates that Thomas Weir Pauken II conspired with several individuals and served as an intermediary in the exfiltration of data.

Citing court documents, the DoJ said that in 2017, Pauken met with an unidentified person known only as “Cathy.” This person gave Pauken equipment (laptops, phones), told him who to meet, what type of information to collect and report back to him.

Selling data to the Chinese

Cathy paid Pauken at least $100,000 for his efforts and paid for several trips from China to the United States to meet with these people and obtain the required information.

Pauken also said he worked with two other people, named “Richard” and “William,” who told him the reports he was preparing were intended for Japan. He believed that they too were working for the Chinese government.

Pauken also allegedly sold reports to a group of Chinese in Wuhan, interested in information about the technology and the DOJ. These individuals also wanted to find an expert hacker for espionage campaigns.

“In fact, Pauken admitted to participating in a conspiracy to obtain sensitive U.S. government information for the PRC,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.

“His actions constitute a betrayal of this nation and pose an unacceptable risk to our national security. NSD remains committed to protecting information critical to our national security, including through appropriate prosecution.”

Pauken’s sentencing is scheduled for September 1, 2026, where he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

“By his own admission, Thomas Pauken not only attempted to infiltrate U.S. political circles at the direction of the Chinese Ministry of State Security, but he also gathered intelligence on his U.S. targets and passed it to his Chinese intelligence agents,” said Deputy Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Counterintelligence Division.

“This case illustrates the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party is willing to go to undermine our democratic institutions and degrade our political freedoms, but it also demonstrates the FBI’s determination to defend the homeland against threats to our national security. Let this plea serve as a clear warning: If you attempt to aid a foreign adversary as an unregistered agent in the United States, the FBI will find you and bring you to justice.”