DOJ charges Huawei and CFO Meng Wanzhou with racketeering, conspiracy to steal IP

The Department of Justice on Thursday announced a 16-count superseding indictment against the Chinese technology company Huawei and its CFO Meng Wanzhou. Among the charges: racketeering and conspiracy to steal intellectual property.

Here is the full text of the DoJ announcement:

Department of JusticeOffice of Public AffairsFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEThursday, February 13, 2020Chinese Telecommunications Conglomerate Huawei and Subsidiaries Charged in Racketeering Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Steal Trade SecretsCharges also Reveal Huaweis Business in North Korea and Assistance to the Government of Iran in Performing Domestic Surveillance

A superseding indictment was returned yesterday in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, charging Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. (Huawei), the worlds largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer, and two U.S. subsidiaries with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

Brian A. Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Departments Criminal Division; John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Departments National Security Division; Richard P. Donoghue, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher A. Wray, Director, FBI, announced the charges.

The 16-count superseding indictment also adds a charge of conspiracy to steal trade secrets stemming from the China-based companys alleged long-running practice of using fraud and deception to misappropriate sophisticated technology from U.S. counterparts.

The indicted defendants include Huawei and four official and unofficial subsidiaries Huawei Device Co. Ltd. (Huawei Device), Huawei Device USA Inc. (Huawei USA), Futurewei Technologies Inc. (Futurewei) and Skycom Tech Co. Ltd. (Skycom) as well as Huaweis Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Wanzhou Meng (Meng).