An ex-Google software developer was indicted by the Justice Department on Wednesday for allegedly attempting to steal Google’s artificial intelligence technology while simultaneously being employed by two Chinese companies, charged with four counts of federal trade secret theft.

A Chinese citizen named Linwei Ding was taken into custody on Wednesday in Newark, California. Employed by Google since 2019, he had been given permission to view sensitive data from the company’s supercomputing data centers. It is suspected that he started transferring hundreds of files to his personal Google Cloud account from May 2022 to May 2023.

While working for Google, he received an invitation to serve as the chief technology officer for a tech startup in China that focused on utilizing artificial intelligence. According to the charge, Ding traveled to China to attend meetings with potential investors in order to secure funding for the company.

According to the charges, Ding had established and held the position of CEO at a Chinese startup focused on AI model training. He did not disclose these roles to Google prior to his resignation on December 26. However, the company learned of them when it was revealed that he had represented himself as CEO at a conference for investors in Beijing.

According to Google representative Jose Castaneda, they have strong measures in place to prevent their confidential business information and trade secrets from being stolen. After conducting an inquiry, it was discovered that an employee had taken multiple documents without authorization. The case was promptly reported to authorities.

The Associated Press reported that a lawyer who is listed as Ding’s defense attorney did not promptly respond to a call requesting a statement on Wednesday evening.

During a conference held by the American Bar Association in San Francisco, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland revealed the details of the case.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and Commerce Department.

Police agencies have frequently put out alerts about the risks of Chinese theft of economic secrets and the potential threats to national security posed by progress in artificial intelligence.

The recent charges demonstrate how companies based in China are resorting to extensive measures to steal American innovations, according to a statement from FBI Director Christopher Wray. He also stated that the theft of new technology and confidential trade information from American companies can lead to job loss and significant impacts on both the economy and national security.

If Ding is found guilty, he may receive a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail and a fine of up to $250,000 for each charge. It is currently uncertain if Ding has legal representation to advocate for him.

The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse contributed to the information included in this report.