A federal judge Monday rejected a former Google software engineer’s bid to overturn his conviction for stealing the company’s artificial intelligence secrets and handing them to Chinese competitors—a case that underscores how America’s technological edge walks out the door one stolen file at a time.
Linwei Ding, hired by Google in 2019 to help build the supercomputing infrastructure behind its AI systems, was convicted in January on all 14 counts of theft of trade secrets and economic espionage. He now faces years in federal prison for what prosecutors proved was a deliberate scheme to benefit himself and companies in China.
Judge: Evidence of Intent Was ‘Overwhelming’
U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria dismissed Ding’s motion for acquittal or a new trial in a nine-page ruling that found jurors had more than enough evidence to convict. The government presented “overwhelming evidence” that Ding planned to profit from the stolen information, Chhabria wrote, making clear that a rational juror could find beyond reasonable doubt that Ding intended to take Google’s proprietary technology.
The charges stemmed from seven categories of trade secrets Ding allegedly copied from Google’s AI development work—technology that gives the company a competitive advantage in the global race for artificial intelligence dominance. Each theft of trade secrets count was paired with an economic espionage charge, reflecting prosecutors’ argument that Ding acted to benefit a foreign government or entity.
What Happens Next for Defense Team
Judge Chhabria indicated he would issue a separate ruling on Ding’s motion for acquittal specifically on the economic espionage counts, suggesting that piece of the defense challenge requires additional consideration. The distinction matters: economic espionage charges carry the weight of foreign government involvement, while trade secret theft can be purely commercial.
The January jury verdict followed a two-week trial in San Francisco that laid bare how employees with access to cutting-edge American technology can compromise national competitiveness. For families whose retirement accounts depend on American companies maintaining their technological lead, cases like Ding’s represent a direct threat to long-term economic security. China doesn’t need to outinvent us if it can simply wait for insiders to hand over the blueprints.
Ding’s sentencing date has not yet been set. Each count carries potential prison time that could add up to decades behind bars.
Key Points
- Federal judge denied former Google engineer’s motion to overturn conviction for stealing trade secrets and economic espionage
- Linwei Ding was convicted on all 14 counts after jury found he took proprietary AI technology to benefit Chinese companies
- Judge ruled evidence was “overwhelming” that Ding intended to profit from stolen Google supercomputing secrets
https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-denies-acquittal-for-ex-google-engineer-convicted-of-stealing-trade-secrets/ – June 30, 2026
