Kun Shan Chun has been named by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as a employee who’s believed to be an agent of China. For those of you wondering: Yes, “Agent of China” is just another way of saying traitor. More information will be unveiled today when Chun goes to trial in Manhattan, but here’s what we know so far.
Who Is Kun Shan Chun?
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Kun Shan Chun is an FBI electronics technician born in China, but is a naturalized U.S. citizen. He was previously employed by the FBI in their New York field office since 1997 and was likely fired in early 2016. There are also reports that Kun also went by the name “Joey Chun.”
Chun was born in Guangdong, China and came to the United States in 1980. Around five years later, he became a naturalized US citizen.
He has been charged with four counts of working to “falsify, conceal and cover up by trick, scheme and device a material fact.”
What Happened?
We’re now learning that Chun told an undercover FBI agent that he had access to sensitive information that he could provide to China (via the agent) for a “cut.” Fortunately for the United States, the agent he contacted didn’t actually represent China.
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Chun was previously charged with making false statements in a criminal complaint dated back to March 2016. These documents are unsealed because he’s facing charges in a Manhattan federal court on Monday. Fox News also reports that Chun has been charged with four counts of working to “falsify, conceal and cover up by trick, scheme and device a material fact.”
So what exactly happened? The FBI alleges that Chun met with a Chinese associate sometime during a July trip to Europe. During this time, he told an undercover FBI Special Agent (who he did not know was undercover) that he wanted to introduce the agent to these Chinese associates. “Chun also expressed a willingness to facilitate the passage of sensitive United States Government information from the [undercover agent] to one or more of his Chinese associates, including individuals associated with the Chinese Government.”
These Chinese associates were Chinese technology company employees that Chun and his family had “maintained relationships” with, in exchange for financial and travel benefits. These unsealed documents take it a step further and allege that there was at least “one individual whom Chun understood to be affiliated with the Chinese government.”
The FBI is alleging that in a written questionnaire required for security clearance, Chun also failed to disclose ties to foreign organizations and individuals. Additionally, he didn’t tell the FBI that he met with “foreign nationals.”
But it gets even murkier.
Chun and the undercover agent also met in New York in August 2015 during a meeting that was recorded, the charging documents said.
“I could get you connected and then I’m going to stay off,” Chun is alleged to have said. “You know, you do your thing, you make your money, I don’t really care, but…if you make any money, just give me a little bit…”
Judging by the wording of a notice from Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara, it is believed that “Joey Chun” will plead guilty.
Chun is due in court on Monday at 12:00 PM EST, and Reuters is already reported that he plead guilty.
Jonathan Marvinny, Chun’s appointed public defender, said in a statement after the hearing: “Today Joey Chun accepted responsibility for some mistakes in judgment that he deeply regrets. The truth is that Mr. Chun loves the United States and never intended to cause it any harm. He hopes to put this matter behind him and move forward with his life.”
