The U.S. Department of Justice has charged four individuals with conspiring to illegally export Nvidia GPUs to China, violating stringent U.S. export control laws. The indictment, unsealed in the Middle District of Florida, names two U.S. citizens and two P. R. C. nationals residing in the U.S. These individuals are accused of falsifying documentation, creating fake contracts, and misleading U.S. authorities to facilitate the illegal transfer of advanced semiconductor technology. Among the suspects is Hon Ning Ho, a former CTO of a Virginia-based AI cloud computing company set to go public, who is no longer employed by the firm. The indictment alleges that Chinese companies paid nearly $3.9 million to the conspirators, with potential sentences of decades in prison and financial penalties if convicted.
The indictment highlights a broader U.S. strategy to curb the flow of advanced technology to China, a nation that has been a focal point of American export control policies. The legal actions reflect ongoing efforts to enforce strict regulations on the export of critical technologies, particularly in response to perceived national security and economic competition risks. Corvex, the AI cloud company mentioned in the indictment, has denied any involvement, stating it has no part in the alleged activities and that the individual in question is no longer an employee. The case underscores the increasing scrutiny placed on technology transfers and the potential legal repercussions for those who circumvent U.S. export restrictions.