Former Philips engineer convicted of sharing company's trade secrets
A former engineer at Philips Medical Systems has been convicted by a federal jury in Chicago of conspiring to steal the company’s trade secrets with the intent of providing them to a Chinese competitor.
Chih-Yee Jen, 71, of Mequon, Wisconsin, previously worked at Philips’ Aurora, Illinois, facility, where engineers researched, developed and manufactured X-ray tubes used in CT imaging systems. Prosecutors said that as Philips prepared to close the facility in 2017, Jen began communicating with Kunshan GuoLi Electronic Technology Co. Ltd., a China-based X-ray tube manufacturer, about establishing a U.S. subsidiary to compete with Philips.
While still employed by Philips, Jen allegedly copied confidential information about the company’s proprietary technology from internal databases and shared it with Kunshan GuoLi and company VP Xiaoqin Du. He also recruited multiple Philips engineers to join the new subsidiary, where the stolen information was used to develop X-ray tube technology.
Following a weeklong trial, a federal jury convicted Jen on charges of conspiring to steal, misappropriate or possess trade secrets and possessing or attempting to possess stolen trade secrets. U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang scheduled Jen’s sentencing for Jan. 5, 2027. The case also involves two other former Philips engineers; Fince Tendian, 57, and Vladimir Nevtonenko, 77, pleaded guilty before trial and admitted to possessing stolen Philips trade secrets. They are scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 8 and Dec. 1.
Prosecutors also indicted Du, Kunshan GuoLi and related company Kunshan Yiyuan Medical Technology. They remain on the court’s Fugitive Calendar and have not yet been arraigned.
“Jen acted at the expense of his U.S. employer by stealing closely guarded X-ray technology trade secrets for the benefit of a Chinese competitor,” Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, Roman Rozhavsky, said in a news release Aug. 24. “Protecting America’s private sector companies is a priority for the FBI, and this conviction underscores our commitment to defend the homeland. Know that if you choose to steal trade secrets, the FBI will find you and hold you accountable.”
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In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.