(The Center Square) – FBI agents in north Texas have disrupted a North Korean espionage ring targeting U.S. companies. The scheme involves illegally obtaining information from U.S. companies to facilitate the country’s sanctioned weapons program, federal authorities allege.
The case “is about far more than fraud,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas said. “It is about a hostile foreign regime infiltrating American companies through stolen identities and covert access points inside our own borders.”
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mu656C2= 286?ED 5:DCFAE65 H92E E96J 56D4C:36 2D “2 >2;@C :==:4:E =2AE@A‑9@DE:?8 ?6EH@C<” E92E 6?23=65 }@CE9 z@C62? x% H@C<6CD E@ F?=2H7F==J 2446DD &]$] 4@CA@C2E6 DJDE6>D FD:?8 DE@=6? @C 72=D:7:65 p>6C:42? :56?E:E:6D 7@C E96 s6>@4C2E:4 !6@A=6VD #6AF3=:4 @7 z@C62 Ws!#zX[ 2FE9@C:E:6D D2:5] %96 &]$] 92D 56D:8?2E65 s!#z 2D 2 DE2E6 DA@?D@C @7 E6CC@C:D>] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m%96 3FDE H2D >256 E9C@F89 2 7656C2= ~A6C2E:@? {@?6DE2C #@F?5FA H:E9 E96 2DD:DE2?46 @7 E96 &]$] 4J36CD64FC:EJ 7:C> rC@H5$EC:<6] uqx DA64:2= 286?ED 6I64FE65 D62C496D 2E >@C6 E92? c_ C6D:56?46D :? %6I2D[ D6:K:?8 `gf =2AE@AD 2?5 <6J3@2C5D[ G:56@ 2?5 >@FD6 56G:46D] %96 56G:46D H6C6 FD65 2D A2CE @7 2 “=2AE@A 72C>” 7@C s!#z x% H@C<6CD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 4@>A=2:?E] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 >2;@C:EJ H6C6 D6:K65 :? ?@CE9 %6I2D] uqx 286?ED D6:K65 2AAC@I:>2E6=J `__ 56G:46D E92E s!#z H@C<6CD 2?5 E96:C &]$]\32D65 724:=:E2E@CD FD65 E@ 42CCJ @FE E96 7C2F5F=6?E D496>6 :? ?@CE9 %6I2D[ 2FE9@C:E:6D D2:5] %96 =2AE@A 72C> H2D 6DE23=:D965 E@ @3E2:? C6>@E6 6>A=@J>6?E 2?5 86?6C2E6 C6G6?F6 7@C E96 s!#z’D D2?4E:@?65 H62A@?D AC@8C2>D[ 2FE9@C:E:6D 2==686]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m“tG6CJ =2AE@A 72C> H6 5:D>2?E=6 D9FED 5@H? 2 C6G6?F6 DEC62> E92E E96 }@CE9 z@C62? 8@G6C?>6?E C6=:6D @? E@ 7F?5 H62A@?D AC@8C2>D E92E E9C62E6? 8=@32= DE23:=:EJ[” #2J3@F=5 D2:5] “~A6C2E:@? {@?6DE2C #@F?5FA D6?5D 2 4=62C >6DD286i H6 H:== ?@E 2==@H 6?6>:6D @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D E@ 6IA=@:E @FC 3FD:?6DD6D @C 4@>AC@>:D6 @FC ?2E:@?2= D64FC:EJ]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m~A6C2E:@? {@?6DE2C #@F?5FA :? %6I2D H2D =2F?4965 E@ 5:DCFAE “>2=:4:@FD 4J36C 24E:G:EJ A6CA6EC2E65 3J E96 }@CE9 z@C62? 8@G6C?>6?E H:E9 E96 AFCA@D6 @7 DFAA@CE:?8 :ED (|s 2?5 32==:DE:4 >:DD:=6 AC@8C2>D[ :?E6==:86?46 AC@8C2>[ 2?5 ?F4=62C AC@8C2>[” uqx s2==2D $A64:2= p86?E :? r92C86 y@D6A9 #@E9C@4< D2:5] “t249 =2AE@A D6:K65 A@E6?E:2==J C6AC6D6?ED @?6 4@>A2?J E92E 92D 9:C65 2 s!#z x% H@C<6C]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mp44@C5:?8 E@ :?G6DE:82E:G6 7:?5:?8D[ s!#z x% H@C<6CD 2AA=:65 7@C 2?5 @3E2:?65 C6>@E6 A@D:E:@?D 2E &]$] 4@>A2?:6D 3J FD:?8 DE@=6? @C 723C:42E65 :56?E:EJ 5@4F>6?ED[ G:CEF2= AC:G2E6 ?6EH@C<D 2?5 AC@IJ :?7C2DECF4EFC6] %96 D496>6 >256 :E D66> 2D :7 E96J H6C6 A9JD:42==J =@42E65 :? E96 &]$] 3FE H6C6 :?DE625 :? }@CE9 z@C62[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 4@>A=2:?E] %@ 5@ E9:D[ E96J C6=:65 @? &]$]\32D65 724:=:E2E@CD “H9@ C646:G65 =2AE@AD 7C@> G:4E:> 4@>A2?:6D[ 9@FD65 2?5 4@?7:8FC65 E9@D6 56G:46D[ :?DE2==65 C6>@E6\2446DD D@7EH2C6 2?5 EC2?D76CC65 62C?:?8D E@ s!#z‑4@?EC@==65 244@F?ED[” 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 4@>A=2:?E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mrC@H5$EC:<6 92D 366? H@C<:?8 H:E9 E96 uqx E@ E2C86E s!#z @A6C2E:G6D ?2E:@?H:56] x? =2E6 $6AE6>36C[ :E D2JD :ED r@F?E6C p5G6CD2CJ ~A6C2E:@?D E62> 4@==23@C2E65 H:E9 E96 uqx E@ 5:DCFAE D6G6C2= =2AE@A 72C>D @A6C2E:?8 ?2E:@?H:56 >2:?E2:?65 3J s!#z\?6IFD 25G6CD2CJ up|~&$ rw~{{x|p] q6EH66? pAC:= 2?5 yF?6[ :ED E62> :56?E:7:65 E96 :?7C2DECF4EFC6[k^DA2?m kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4C@H5DEC:<6]4@>^6?\FD^3=@8^73:\5:DCFAED\72>@FD\49@==:>2\@A6C2E:@?\H:E9\4C@H5DEC:<6\2DD:DE2?46^Qm:E D2JDk^2mk^DEC@?8mkDA2?m] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mup|~&$ rw~{{x|p :D 2 }@CE9 z@C62? DE2E6\DA@?D@C65 924<:?8 8C@FA :?G@=G65 :? 7C2F5F=6?E x%\H@C<6C D496>6D E92E 92D 366? 24E:G6 D:?46 2E =62DE a_`g[ rC@H5$EC:<6k^DA2?m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4C@H5DEC:<6]4@>^6?\FD^25G6CD2C:6D^72>@FD\49@==:>2^QmkDA2?mkDEC@?8mD2JDk^DEC@?8m]k^DA2?mk^2m kDA2?mxE “=:<6=J 4@?5F4ED @A6C2E:@?D @? 3692=7 @7 }@CE9 z@C62VD |F?:E:@?D x?5FDECJ s6A2CE>6?E W|xsX[ H9:49 7F?5D 2?5 @G6CD66D E96 s!#zVD >:DD:=6 2?5 ?F4=62C H62A@?D AC@8C2>]” k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 D496>6 :?G@=G6D s!#z @A6C2E:G6D FD:?8 =2AE@A 72C>D E@ 6?23=6 up|~&$ rw~{{x|p @A6C2E:G6D “E@ A@D6 2D =68:E:>2E6 C6>@E6 H@C<6CD 2?5 D:A9@? :==:4:E H286D 324< E@ E96:C C68:>6 H9:=6 >2:?E2:?:?8 A6CD:DE6?E 2446DD E@ G:4E:> @C82?:K2E:@?D” :? E96 &]$]] 2FE9@CE:6D 2==686]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mx? ?@CE9 %6I2D[ :?G6DE:82E@CD D2:5 E96J F?4@G6C65 s!#z @A6C2E:G6D FD:?8 2 ?6EH@C< @7 7C2F5F=6?E v@@8=6 6>2:= 244@F?ED E@ 724:=:E2E6 E96 D496>6] %96 s~y AF3=:D965 E96 6>2:=D :? E96 4@>A=2:?E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 3FDE 4@>6D 2D E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@?’D uqx :D 288C6DD:G6=J AFCDF:?8 4J36C4C:>6D 2?5 4@CA@C2E6 6DA:@?286] %96D6 :?G6DE:82E:@?D 2C6 2? @FEH@C<:?8 @7 }2E:@?2= $64FC:EJ !C6D:56?E:2= |6>@C2?5F> `` Wk^DA2?mkDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]8@@8=6]4@>^8@E@nFC=lrpt$A"tqeKDHu5<%|Fx4~+Ef_'yA|~r{#IgCu7u*>;\p:2+EK~694<h?%)+=sq+}?xq__?*~@wvu)$0%(>Crggxq0K`6$&z}wv}5F@{q&I{E7+Hy7e:H6h@C>)$v>|hBapCza5~{t$&5#$$y#fH@"$tst6yh"EdIKw44'0#cauE4)u3Ive!K9wef6G)8F!%rh4H#b62dq#;tc:pKD_r':3p3!+{_}FBg{B<Qm}$!|\``k^2mk^DEC@?8mkDA2?mX :DDF65 E@ 25G2?46 p>6C:42? DFA6C:@C:EJ :? 2CE:7:4:2= :?E6==:86?46 E649?@=@8J]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mp 7656C2= :?G6DE:82E:@? :?E@ s!#z :==:4:E 7:?2?4:2= ?6EH@C<D :D @?8@:?8]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 uqx :D 6?4@FC28:?8 2?J 4@>A2?J @C :?5:G:5F2= H9@ 92D :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE E96 s!#z D496>6 E@ 4@>6 7@CH2C5 2?5 7:=6 2 C6A@CE 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^:4b]8@GQm:4b]8@Gk^2m]k^DA2?mk^Am