Linwei “Leon” Ding, 38, a citizen of China, has been indicted charged with four counts of theft of trade secrets. He was an employee of Google LLC, which is based at Googleplex in Mountain View, Santa Clara County, California, United States.
Linwei Ding
Ding is accused of secretly working to enrich himself and two companies based in China by scheming to siphon off cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology from Google while secretly trying to go into business with Chinese competitors. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Commerce Department are investigating the case.
In 2019, Google LLC hired Ding as a software engineer. On May 21, 2022, he allegedly started secretly uploading trade secrets that were stored in Google’s network by copying the information into a personal Google Cloud account.
On June 13, 2022, Ding received several emails from the chief executive officer of an early-stage technology company based in China, indicating he had been offered the position of chief technology officer for the company. While he was in China from October 29, 2022 to March 25, 2023, he participated in investor meetings to raise capital for the new company.
In total, Ding allegedly uploaded more than 500 unique files containing confidential information from Google until May 2, 2023. By no later than May 30, 2023, he had founded his own technology company in the AI and machine learning industry.
On November 24, 2023, Ding presented his company at an investor conference in Beijing, China. In December 2023, he allegedly permitted another Google employee to use his Google-issued access badge to scan into the entrance of a Google building, making it appear he was working from his U.S. Google office when he was really in China.
From Newark to Mountain View
While working it Google LLC, Ding resided in Newark, Alameda County, California. Connected via the Dumbarton Bridge corridor and regional transit, Newark offers suburban charm and growing enterprise while Mountain View drives global technological innovation.
Newark and Mountain View represent two distinct yet interconnected hubs of Northern California. Both cities highlight the diverse economic and cultural landscape of Silicon Valley and the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
Located in Alameda County along the eastern shore of the bay, Newark was incorporated in 1955 and forms the Tri-City Area alongside neighboring Fremont and Union City. Historically rooted in agriculture and manufacturing, Newark has evolved into a residential community with an expanding footprint in biotech and health sciences.
Across the bay in Santa Clara County, Mountain View sits at the heart of Silicon Valley. Named for its clear views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the city played a pivotal role in semiconductor history starting in the 1950s.
Leave a Reply