Joey Chun had Top Secret clearance since 1998..
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He allegedly met with a Chinese associate in Europe in July 2015 and, around the same time, told an undercover FBI Special Agent that he wanted to introduce the agent to some of his Chinese associates.
An FBI electronics technician who had access to classified information has pleaded guilty to acting as an agent of China during a court appearance today.
The criminal complaint against Chun was unsealed Monday, but dated March 2016. He pleaded guilty to the complaint, which charges him with four counts of making false statements related to his foreign contacts.
Chun’s public defender said his client was ready to acknowledge what he had done.
“Today Joey Chun accepted responsibility for some mistakes in judgment that he deeply regrets”.
Since 2006, Chun and some of his relatives maintained relationships with several Chinese nationals who purported to be affiliated with a Chinese company, according to court documents. A lawyer for Mr. Chun could not immediately be identified.
A longtime Federal Bureau of Investigation employee pleaded guilty on Monday to acting as an agent for the Chinese government and sending sensitive information about the USA government to a Chinese official.
Federal Bureau of Investigation policy requires employees to report contacts with foreign nationals and agents of foreign powers.
During the same conversation, Chun is alleged to have acknowledged that he knew he was supposed to have disclosed his meetings and relationships with foreign nationals.
Chun allegedly told the undercover agent he wanted everyone to develop a “consulting” relationship, and Chun allegedly expressed desire to pass sensitive USA government info to these associates, including people associated with the Chinese government.
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Kun Shan “Joey” Chun, 47, faces roughly two years in prison under a plea deal he hatched with Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s office in exchange for his guilty plea.
