Chicago Federal Jury Convicts Former Philips Engineer in Trade Secret Theft Case Involving Chinese Competitor (Chicago, IL) – A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a former Philips Medical Systems engineer of stealing proprietary X-ray technology from his former employer and providing the information to a Chinese medical technology company.
Chih-Yee Jen, 71, of Mequon, Wisconsin, was found guilty Friday following a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Prosecutors accused Jen of conspiring to steal Philips trade secrets and possessing or attempting to possess stolen trade secrets.
Jen worked as an engineer at Philips’ Aurora, Illinois, facility, where researchers and engineers developed and manufactured X-ray tubes used in computed tomography medical imaging systems.
According to federal prosecutors, the alleged scheme began taking shape in 2017 as Philips was preparing to close the Aurora facility. Around that time, representatives of China-based Kunshan GuoLi Electronic Technology Co. Ltd. began communicating with Jen about establishing a U.S. subsidiary that could compete with Philips in the development, manufacturing and sale of X-ray tubes.
While still employed by Philips, prosecutors said Jen began sharing confidential company documents with Kunshan GuoLi and its vice president, Xiaoqin Du. He also recruited several former Philips engineers to join the Chinese company’s U.S. subsidiary.
Federal prosecutors said Jen copied proprietary information from Philips’ internal databases and later used the material in his work developing X-ray technology for the Kunshan GuoLi subsidiary.
U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros of the Northern District of Illinois said the case illustrates the broader economic and national security concerns associated with the theft of American intellectual property.
“The theft of proprietary information is a serious economic crime that harms American jobs and stifles critically important research and development driving the future of our nation,” Boutros said.
Boutros said the U.S. Attorney’s Office would continue pursuing trade secret cases as part of efforts to protect American innovation and maintain fair competition.
The FBI also highlighted the national security implications of the case.
“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,” said FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the Counterintelligence and Espionage Division.
Rozhavsky said the bureau remains focused on protecting American businesses from intellectual property theft.
Two other former Philips engineers charged in the case pleaded guilty before Jen’s trial. Fince Tendian, 57, of Aurora, and Vladimir Nevtonenko, 77, of Arlington Heights, admitted to possessing stolen trade secrets.
Judge Edmond E. Chang has scheduled Nevtonenko’s sentencing for Dec. 1 at 10 a.m. and Tendian’s sentencing for Dec. 8 at 10 a.m.
Jen is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 5, 2027, at 10 a.m.
Prosecutors also indicted Du, 64, of Suzhou, China, along with Kunshan GuoLi and another Chinese company, Kunshan Yiyuan Medical Technology Co. Ltd. The defendants have been placed on the court’s Fugitive Calendar and have not been arraigned.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ramon Villalpando and Michael Maione of the Northern District of Illinois.
The conviction comes as federal authorities continue to emphasize the protection of proprietary technology developed by U.S. companies, particularly when that technology could have applications in advanced medical equipment and other high-value industries.
Chicago Federal Jury Convicts Former Philips Engineer in Trade Secret Theft Case Involving Chinese Competitor
