US Indicts Chinese Energy Company, Affiliate For Theft Of Trade Secrets - Justice Dept.

The United States has indicted a Chinese energy company and its US affiliate on charges of conspiracy and attempted theft of trade secrets, the Department of Justice said in a statement on Thursday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th October, 2020) The United States has indicted a Chinese energy company and its US affiliate on charges of conspiracy and attempted theft of trade secrets, the Department of Justice said in a statement on Thursday.

"A Federal grand jury has returned an indictment alleging corporate entities conspired to steal technology from a Houston-area oil and gas manufacturer," the statement said. "Jason Energy Technologies Co. (JET) in Yantai, People's Republic of China; Jason Oil and Gas Equipment LLC (JOG) USA and Chinese national Lei Gao aka Jason Gao, 45, are charged with conspiracy, theft of trade secrets and attempted theft of trade secrets."

The US authorities issued a warrant for the Gao's arrest. Gao used to live in Houston, Texas, but is now believed to reside in China, the statement said.

Meantime, the US authorities charged Robert Erford Jr., who worked for a Houston-area company, the statement also said.

In November 2019, Gao and Erford allegedly signed a consultancy agreement indicating that Erford would work in China as a consultant to assist JOG in coiled tubing technology gaining $1,000 each day of a 15-day visit, the statement explained.

"This agreement allegedly also included a confidentiality provision," the statement said.

The Justice Department pointed out that in November of 2019, Erford allegedly transferred to China a company document containing a US trade secret for JET's benefit.

Both Erford and Gao have contacted several times in December 2019 in order to collect information, the statement said.

"The corporate entities could be fined up to $5 million or three times the value of the stolen trade secret, whichever is greater. Gao faces the same potential fine as well as a possible prison sentence of up to 10 years," the statement added.