Former Google engineer receives nearly a year in prison for AI trade-secret theft

In San Francisco, former Google engineer Linwei Ding was handed a prison term of 12 months, one day short of a full year, after a jury convicted him on all 14 counts of trade-secret theft and economic espionage. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria also imposed two years of supervised release, a restitution payment exceeding $198,000, and a $2,500 fine. Ding’s defense, represented by Grant Fondo of Goodwin Procter, asked for three months of home confinement, citing his clean record and family circumstances, but the judge found the offenses warranted incarceration.

The government had requested a 70-month sentence, arguing the crime was calculated and needed to send a strong message to the tech sector. While the economic-espionage conviction was later vacated for lack of evidence of intent to aid the Chinese government, the sentencing remains in effect, and Ding plans to appeal.