Feds say US citizen gathered information on American targets for Chinese Communist Party
American Citizen Pleads Guilty to Acting as Unregistered Agent for Chinese Intelligence
By Maine News Now
A 50‑year‑old former investment banker from Maine has admitted in federal court to working for Chinese intelligence over the past several years, gathering information on U.S. targets and attempting to penetrate American political circles. The plea was entered Thursday in a federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., and could lead to a prison term of up to ten years.
Thomas Weir Pauken II, a Boston‑area resident who once ran a hedge‑fund advisory firm, pleaded guilty to the charge of acting as an agent of the People's Republic of China without notifying the U.S. Attorney General, as the Department of Justice announced. Prosecutors say Pauken was paid more than $100,000 for his services and traveled repeatedly between China and the United States, serving as an intermediary between Chinese contacts and potential informants.
According to court filings, Pauken’s “China‑based contacts” directed him to identify and cultivate people in the U.S. who could provide information of interest to Chinese intelligence. The FBI’s Philadelphia and Washington field offices investigated the case. “By his own admission, not only did Thomas Pauken attempt to infiltrate U.S. political circles at the direction of China's Ministry of State Security, but he gathered intelligence on his American targets and reported it back to his Chinese intelligence handlers,” FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky told reporters.
The indictment also alleges that Pauken prepared research and reports for other contacts believed to be linked to the Chinese government. He reportedly supplied information to a group based in Wuhan that sought insights into American technology and the expertise needed to support cyber operations.
Pauken’s guilty plea came at a time of heightened scrutiny over foreign espionage. “This case illustrates the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party will go to undermine our democratic institutions and degrade our political freedoms,” Rozhavsky said. “But it also demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to defend the homeland from threats to our national security.”
He is scheduled for sentencing on September 1. While prosecutors recommend a maximum of ten years in federal prison, the judge will decide the final sentence.
The case underscores the continuing threat that foreign intelligence services pose to American institutions, prosecutors said. “Let this plea serve as a clear warning: If you attempt to help a foreign adversary as an unregistered agent in the U.S., the FBI will find you and bring you to justice,” Rozhavsky added.
Pauken’s plea is the latest in a series of high‑profile cases in which U.S. citizens have been charged for acting on behalf of foreign governments. While the full scope of his activities remains to be seen, the admission confirms that Chinese intelligence has maintained a network of operatives on U.S. soil for several years.