In a recent judgment, a Chinese graduate student, Fengyun Shi, 26, was sentenced to six months in prison for operating a drone near the Newport News Shipyard in Virginia, capturing images of U.S. Navy vessels that are still in design and contain classified systems. This incident occurred in January of this year, and the court’s ruling came on the 15th of October.
According to court records, Shi was piloting the drone outside the shipyard’s gates when it became lodged in a tree belonging to a nearby residence. The SD card retrieved from the drone revealed footage of both active-duty Navy ships and vessels intended for future naval use.
Brian Dugan, the FBI agent overseeing the case, stated, “Our adversaries are eager to learn what we are building. Our job is to stay one step ahead.”
Shi was charged under the Espionage Act for violating prohibitions against photographing military facilities. On July 8, he pleaded guilty to two out of six charges: prohibiting the photography of military installations and operating an unregistered drone within defense airspace. The other four charges were dropped by the Justice Department.
For the two counts he admitted to, he received a sentence of six months, which will run concurrently. Huntington Ingalls Industries, the company operating the shipyard, expressed satisfaction with the ruling, thanking law enforcement for their thorough investigation and for safeguarding “vital national security installations.”
The company commented, “We appreciate the careful sentencing by the court in this national security matter and are pleased that Mr. Shi has been sentenced to six months in federal prison. We believe that drones like his undermine our ability to protect the airspace over the shipyard and jeopardize our work for the nation.”
Prosecutors outlined that on January 6, Shi operated his drone in inclement weather after renting a vehicle upon arriving in Virginia, ultimately capturing images of Navy ships before the drone got stuck in a tree nearby. Testimony submitted by the FBI indicated that a local resident took photos of Shi along with his identification and driver’s license before alerting local authorities.
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