In brief
The U.S. Department of Justice sentenced 40‑year‑old Lai and 39‑year‑old Chen to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release after a DOJ statement detailed their 2021‑2023 scheme to facilitate cash “dead‑drop” payments and gather U.S. military intel for China’s intelligence apparatus.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Liren “Ryan” Lai, 40, and Yuance Chen, 39, would each serve 30 months in federal prison for attempting to recruit U.S. military service members to spy for China’s Ministry of State Security.
According to a DOJ statement, Lai, who entered the United States on a tourist visa, and Chen, a permanent resident, began operating as agents of China’s foreign intelligence arm no later than May 2021. The pair arranged cash “dead‑drop” payments, the DOJ said, directing Americans to deliver $10,000 and $20,000 at specified spots for collection by others.
Their activities, the DOJ outlined, included obtaining photographs of a naval facility, gathering personal data on Navy employees, and producing detailed biographical information on military personnel who could be potential intelligence targets.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A Eisenberg described the scheme as a “long‑running, extensive and brazen attempt to undermine U.S. national security.” He also noted that the DOJ had not disclosed how many recruits were successfully enlisted or how many covert payments were made.
Both Lai and Chen received sentences of three years of supervised release after completing their prison terms, the DOJ said. They had previously received a 2021 interview on a U.S. news program in which they denied any wrongdoing.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that the two men were cooperating with court proceedings, but no additional charges have been announced outside the espionage case.
