American Guard at U.S. Consulate in China tried to sell classified information - Polidicks

[QUOTE]A civilian guard at a new U.S. consulate in China pleaded guilty on Thursday to attempting to sell Chinese security officials photographs and access to the compound so they could plant listening devices. According to a court proffer, Bryan Underwood had lost a significant amount of money in the stock market and hoped to make between $3 million and $5 million by supplying classified photos and information to China's Ministry of State Security. Underwood, 32, appeared in federal court in Washington and pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to communicate national defense information to a foreign government. Under the terms of a plea agreement, the government agreed to drop charges that Underwood made false statements and that he failed to appear at a court hearing last year. In the court proffer signed by Underwood, he admitted writing a letter last year addressed to the Chinese Ministry of State Security. "I know I have information and skills that would be beneficial to your offices (sic) goals," Underwood wrote. "And I know your office can assist me in my financial endeavors." Underwood tried to deliver the letter to China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) but a guard turned him away and would not accept the letter. According to court documents, Underwood then "left the letter in the open in his apartment hoping that the MSS would find it. He believed the MSS routinely conducted searches of apartments occupied by Americans." Prosecutors said that Underwood's job was to protect the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou - not to make it vulnerable to Chinese counterintelligence. According to a news release quoting prosecutors, "The U.S. government has found no evidence that Underwood succeeded in passing classified information concerning the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou to anyone at the Chinese MSS." Officials said there is no evidence suggesting the Chinese ever tried to recruit him for espionage. In May of 2011 Underwood took 30 photographs in restricted areas. Prosecutors said 15 of those "depict areas and/or information that are classified at the SECRET level." He drew a diagram showing the locations of security cameras at the compound and created a schematic listing all security upgrades to the building site. The proffer also said Underwood "mentally" came up with a plan in which Chinese agents could get into the compound undetected for approximately six hours to "install listening devices or other technical penetrations." In addition to working as a guard at the consulate in February 2011 Underwood was asked by a U.S. law enforcement agent to help on a counter-surveillance project. Underwood was to tell the American agent about "any suspected attempts by the Chinese Government to recruit him for intelligence purposes." Underwood later came up with the idea to use his role helping law enforcement as a "cover" for contacting the Chinese. According to court documents, Underwood's stock brokerage account dropped from almost $69,000 in February 2011 to a negative sum of more than $89,000 in April 2011. His account was frozen and he "became panicked about his financial situation," according to the court papers. Underwood was interviewed by law enforcement several times and finally admitted he was trying to sell information to the Chinese for financial gain. He was arrested September 1, 2011. Underwood failed to show up for a court appearance in Washington later in the month. The FBI caught up with him a few days later at a Los Angeles hotel, arrested him again and he's been in jail ever since. "Bryan Underwood was determined to make millions by selling secret photos of restricted areas inside a U.S. Consulate in China," said U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen. "His greed drove him to exploit his access to America's secrets to line his own pockets." Underwood appeared in federal court wearing an orange jail jumpsuit. He answered questions asked by U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle in a calm, clear voice. When asked about any history of psychological problems, Underwood said he takes medication for anxiety and depression. Underwood is scheduled to be sentenced on November 19. The plea agreement recommends a sentence of at least 15 and a half years up to almost 20 years. Huvelle is not bound by the recommendation and could sentence Underwood to up to life in prison.[/quote] Source: [url]http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/31/guard-at-u-s-consulate-in-china-tried-to-sell-classified-information/[/url]

Hope this guy isn't a big fan of sunlight.

Well that guy just fucked himself over real nicely.

Pretty much equivalent of treason.

Great way to kill your hopes and dreams

And yet we still view China as a 'friend'. If this were any other country, the US would have treated them like Iran or Syria.

[QUOTE=Fangz;37506137]And yet we still view China as a 'friend'. [/QUOTE] wow couldn't be arsed to even read the whole article

[QUOTE=thisispain;37506168]wow couldn't be arsed to even read the whole article[/QUOTE] Even though China wasn't the instagators, this isn't the first time china has done stuff like this. [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Didn't read" - Starpluck))[/highlight]

[QUOTE=Fangz;37506201]Even though China wasn't the instagators, this isn't the first time china has done stuff like this.[/QUOTE] China didn't do anything this time

"Prosecutors said that Underwood's job was to protect the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou - not to make it vulnerable to Chinese counterintelligence." Really? Who'd have guessed the job of a guard is to guard :v:

"When asked about any history of psychological problems, Underwood said he takes medication for anxiety and depression." Oh boy, here comes this line.

[QUOTE=Fangz;37506201]Even though China wasn't the instagators, this isn't the first time china has done stuff like this.[/QUOTE] As it was already stated, China didn't do shit. What they did do is commendable. They could have easily accepted the intel and they didn't.

What they should have done is report him. Obviously whoever he talked to was too low to accept the info so they just turned him away, so basically China didn't do anything wrong, but not necessarily intentionally. I wonder how they even found out that he was trying to sell it, considering that they probably weren't monitoring him or anything.

[QUOTE=-nesto-;37506460]As it was already stated, China didn't do shit. What they did do is commendable. They could have easily accepted the intel and they didn't.[/QUOTE] Hahaha now that's not quite how it works 1) It was a guard 2) The intelligence game is more tricky than that ('walk-ins' are generally distrustworthy) 3) You really think the Chinese, with their intelligence arm and foreign policy, really decided to benevolently turn down 'good information'?

To be fair, good intentions or not, it would have been positively stupid for the Chinese to accept the intel.

[QUOTE=scout1;37509053]Hahaha now that's not quite how it works 1) It was a guard 2) The intelligence game is more tricky than that ('walk-ins' are generally distrustworthy) 3) You really think the Chinese, with their intelligence arm and foreign policy, really decided to benevolently turn down 'good information'?[/QUOTE] Says the unoffical Facepunch special agent trained by internet articles

[QUOTE=smeismastger;37513374]Says the unoffical Facepunch special agent trained by internet articles[/QUOTE] Do you want to really get into this sort of bitchfight Because with a major in political science (With an eye toward geopolitics) and a minor in history (with an eye towards recent history aka that cold war thing remember that), I do think I know a little something. And even common sense says the Chinese government is not benevolent in any way, shape, or form.

[QUOTE=scout1;37515953]Do you want to really get into this sort of bitchfight Because with a major in political science (With an eye toward geopolitics) and a minor in history (with an eye towards recent history aka that cold war thing remember that), I do think I know a little something. And even common sense says the Chinese government is not benevolent in any way, shape, or form.[/QUOTE] i got a C in my higher history at school (which is a lot!!!) and i think i know a little more about history than you do pal!

[QUOTE=Atlascore;37516013]lmao major in political science and minor in history? How's that armchair? Nice career you're going to have there, oh wait..[/QUOTE] I have no idea what you're trying to say

[QUOTE=scout1;37515953]Do you want to really get into this sort of bitchfight Because with a major in political science (With an eye toward geopolitics) and a minor in history (with an eye towards recent history aka that cold war thing remember that), I do think I know a little something. And even common sense says the Chinese government is not benevolent in any way, shape, or form.[/QUOTE] holy fucking shit you took douchebag to a new level

[QUOTE=Atlascore;37516152]Spending a few years studying doesn't make you a master of politics.[/QUOTE] No but if you want to scream armchair general you better have at least an inkling what you're talking about [QUOTE=Sleepy Head;37516161]holy fucking shit you took douchebag to a new level[/QUOTE] I try

[QUOTE=Atlascore;37516013]lmao major in political science and minor in history? How's that armchair? Nice career you're going to have there, oh wait..[/QUOTE] He's right, though. No government intelligence agency would turn down good information. Not just China, but any country. From what I gathered, no one in any official position actually got the opportunity to accept the intelligence. Even if they did, they might turn it down if they thought the source was unreliable.

[QUOTE=Atlascore;37516335]China's not desperate enough for information on the US to accept "classified" information from a depressed security guard that isn't even a government employee or in the military.[/QUOTE] Well that goes into the source being unreliable. They don't know how much this guy actually knows what he's talking about.

[QUOTE=scout1;37509053]Hahaha now that's not quite how it works 1) It was a guard 2) The intelligence game is more tricky than that ('walk-ins' are generally distrustworthy) 3) You really think the Chinese, with their intelligence arm and foreign policy, really decided to benevolently turn down 'good information'?[/QUOTE] Thinly veiled racism/ nationalism

[QUOTE=LF9000;37516406]Thinly veiled racism/ nationalism[/QUOTE] What, because I think the Chinese actually know how to do espionage rather than "Oh China is benevolent"?

[QUOTE=Atlascore;37516335]China's not desperate enough for information on the US to accept "classified" information from a depressed security guard that isn't even a government employee or in the military.[/QUOTE] If they are desperate enough to steal and copy various US technologies then I'm sure they'd take the info. The installing of devices facilitated by the guard would have been a deal breaker as it is incredibly hard to do without an insider. Also, a few years of studying politics doesn't make anybody a genius, but you called him out on how informed he was on the subject of politics (or at least enough of an interest to study it for years) so swallow your pride and stop posting Atlascore.

[QUOTE=Fangz;37506137]And yet we still view China as a 'friend'. If this were any other country, the US would have treated them like Iran or Syria.[/QUOTE] US FREEDOM once again PROTECTED from the EVILS OF COMMUNISM........... PRAISE the FREE MARKET, BROTHER of GOD

This kind of reminds me of Burn After Reading.

[QUOTE=Fangz;37506201]Even though China wasn't the instagators, this isn't the first time china has done stuff like this. [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Didn't read" - Starpluck))[/highlight][/QUOTE] Yeah, America would "never" buy another countries secrets... How dastardly of China to try and learn important state secrets of a rival superpower. tsk tsk tsk :)

[QUOTE=scout1;37515953]Do you want to really get into this sort of bitchfight[/QUOTE] And then you proceed to bitchfight with other users okay