A former Army helicopter pilot has pleaded guilty to taking thousands of dollars from China to hand over aviation-related information from his work as a defense contractor.
In addition to acting as an unregistered agent for Beijing, Shapour Moinian, 67, also pleaded guilty in federal court this week to making false statements during his national security background checks, according to the Justice Department.
“This is another example of how the Chinese government enhances its defense capabilities through the illicit exploitation of U.S. technology,” Stacey Foy, special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Diego office, said in a statement.