Linwei Ding, a former Google engineer, now faces 14 charges, including seven counts of economic espionage and seven for trade secret theft.

Ding, who joined Google in 2019, is accused of stealing proprietary technology related to Google’s chip design, which is crucial for AI models like Gemini and GPUs.

Prosecutors allege Ding used the stolen technology to start a business in China in 2023 and applied for a Shanghai talent program, which offers financial incentives for returning advanced knowledge to China.

If convicted, Ding faces up to 15 years in prison for each economic espionage charge and up to 10 years for each trade secret theft charge.