Ex-engineer in Tucson gets prison for exporting technology

TUCSON, Ariz. – A former Raytheon engineer in Arizona has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for exporting sensitive military-related technology to China.

Federal prosecutors said 49-year-old Wei Sun received a 38-month prison term Tuesday after previously pleading guilty to one felony count of violating the Arms Export Control Act.

Sun, a Chinese national and naturalized U.S. citizen, was employed in Tucson for 10 years as an electrical engineer with Raytheon Missiles and Defence, which develops and produces missile systems for use by the U.S. military.

During his employment with the company, prosecutors said Sun had access to information directly related to sensitive defence technology.

From December 2018 to January 2019, Sun travelled to China on a personal trip and brought along unclassified defence-related technical information in his company-issued computer.

Prosecutors said the technical information included data associated with an advanced missile guidance system that was controlled and regulated under the Arms Export Control Act and International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Despite having been trained to handle these materials correctly, authorities said Sun knowingly transported the information to China without an export license in violation of the AECA and the ITAR.