A US citizen, Thomas Weir Pauken, has confessed to acting as a foreign government agent on US soil and carrying out tasks for China's intelligence services.
According to Oxu.Az, the US Department of Justice released a statement.
The 50-year-old American lived in China for about 15 years and worked as a journalist. Under the pseudonym Thomas MacGregor, he wrote articles for various Chinese media and appeared on TV as an expert. According to the FBI, he performed tasks for Chinese intelligence and the Ministry of State Security from at least 2019 to 2026.
His handler was a woman named Katie. On her orders, Pauken met with individuals considered potential recruitment targets by Chinese intelligence. He provided them with mobile phones, laptops, and other communication devices, acting as an intermediary between them and Chinese intelligence.
For these activities, Pauken received at least $100,000 from his handler. Additionally, Katie funded several of his trips to the US between 2019 and 2025 to meet potential agents. During one trip, FBI agents interrogated him but later released him. However, on a subsequent mission for Chinese intelligence, he was arrested. The maximum penalty under US law is 10 years in prison. The trial is set for September 1.
