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Subscribe to RSSWASHINGTON — A former security guard at a U.S. consulate in China pleaded guilty on Thursday to trying to pass secrets to China, including photographs of the U.S. building site, prosecutors said.
Bryan Underwood, 32, planned to sell information about the U.S. consulate being built in Guangzhou to China's Ministry of State Security for $3 million to $5 million, the U.S. Attorney's office said in a statement.
Underwood, a former contract civilian guard, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Washington to one count of attempting to communicate national defense information to a foreign government.
Underwood was arrested on the run by FBI agents in Los Angeles in September 2011 after initial charges that he lied about why he was taking photos of the consulate.
Underwood, a former Indiana resident, had worked as a guard at the consulate construction site from November 2009 to August 2011. He planned to sell the photos and other information after he was hit by stock market reverses, the statement said.
Underwood faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Sentencing is set for Nov. 19.
U.S. prosecutors have brought charges against numerous people over the years who have tried to spy for China. They include some who sought money in exchange for economic or national security-related information.
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"attempting to communicate national defense information to a foreign government". They make espionage and treason seem to be almost mundane when they word it like that. The information included photos which means that it wasn't photos alone. In other words, he was willing to sell out whatever our country had to our biggest rival. Well, no "get rich quick" e-trade for him in federal prison.
He might have been willing to sell anything, but what did he really have? Pictures and blueprints of a construction site inside China. (Which, presumably, they couldn't already see because of the giant tarp streched over it.)
Greed and stupidity mostly. Pollard and the Walkers got away with it for years before being caught, but they were still discovered.
He should lose his citizenship and get to stay in China.
I seriously doubt this guy had anything to offer that China didn't already know.
Losing his citizenship can be seen as a penalty, but having to stay in China? Not so much. I live and work in China; I like it here. I really like the country and the people. It doesn't feel like much of a hardship at all.
Though, I CAN leave any time I want...
he isn't the ONLY one by a long shot-police in Inland Empire,Ca were selling US(Wright Brothers relatives) and Entrance to our new plane to the Germans,with German equip. that has been banned by ICC for over fifty YEARS.My child and mother are still held hostage,with ICC promising to help us-I watch for martial law EVERYDAY!-MPs are STILL squelching out Germans and Guatemalans.
HUH?
Well, I like the Chinese Restaurants, but not enough to offer them pictures of something their spy satellites have already taken since it is within their own Country. This attempted spying shows how stupid some people are. Intelligence Agencies already know the answer before you are asked.
The Chinese paid too much for the information. It is not worth $3 million to $5 million for a building plan.
This guy rip Chinese Minstry of State Security off!
USAmerica always ranting about lack of transparency by the Chinese military. How much is it willing to pay for it? USAmerica has to put money where its mouth is. The USAmerican building is in China, no? Of course it has to submit building plans to the Chinese authorities, otherwise no building permit shall be granted. How about USAmerica sharing its military secrets about its missile defence systems with China, all in the name of military transparency for a start.
The US consulate is sovereign US soil. No Chinese building permit required. However it wouldn't surprise me to see some illegally undocumented Mexicans working on the job site.
USAmerican soil in China? I guess they have to ship those stuff from USAmercan west coast. Any illegal Mexican working in China is illegal too, they could be sent to hard labor in Chinese wild wild west.
When space satellite with high resolution camera can photo anything on earth, including a proposed US Ambassy under construction, Underwood's photos have limited value and certainly not worth the $3 to $5 million asking price. The Chinese aren't so stupid paying for inferior goods.
The dude needs to be tried and if found guilty, executed.
No, just lock him up for life and give him only Chinese food to eat!
Treason is treason. Maybe a quick hanging after a fair and speedy trial would keep "so many" from screwing the rest of US.
USAmerica always demand military transparency with regard to military spending budget. They don't belief China's military budget is only US$100 billion. They belief it "could" be up to 4 times more compared to USAmerica's US700 billions. What are the Chicoms doing with such humongous sum for defence? Nobody's going to invade them, so please tell Uncle Sam what you up to, what your miltary plans, programs, intercontinental nuclear missiles, nukes, stealth planes, nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, aircraft carrier killers, anti-satelite missiles, multi-million army, etc...give me all those secrets for the sake of transparency. USAmerica wants to know what China is up to, what they are going to do with all those humongous miliary budget? Are the Chicoms planning to deny USAmerca right of access to Chinese waters and surveilence of Chinese territory from the sky with AUV's, spy planes and satelites? That is illegal under USAmerican Laws. Please be transparent, and explain in detail what you are up to. Planning to invade American allies Japan and South Korea or what?
Singa, where do you get your info? Reading the Spy vs Spy comics in Mad Magazine? You really have very little clue do you?
Underwood is just another pathetic traitor attempting to sell out his country for money. Put the @!$%# in prison for the remainder of his treasonous life.
Who gets his stock portfolio?
He admitted guilt and should receive the maximum punishment under the law. It's called treason, plain and simple.
Chinese Intelligence pays much better than the old KGB.
Make him listen to a Romney speech then he will shoot himself
Atleast this douche was smart enough to sell them. Bill Clinton was giving our secrets to China!
Why is it that the US has so many 'top security' buildings in other countries when countries like China haven't built any in the US?
Want to bet? You think Chinese owned high tech firms aren't sprouting up in cities across the U.S.? Get real!
They can shoot him and that little bitch manning at the same time
The sentence for treason is death He needs at least LWOP in some hellhole prison.
Off with his head! OK, how about he gets a cell with Bubba, for life!