Additional Coverage:
- 2 Americans, 2 Chinese nationals accused of illegally exporting Nvidia GPUs to China (foxbusiness.com)
Four Charged in Alleged Scheme to Smuggle Advanced AI Chips to China, Threatening National Security
Tampa, FL – Federal prosecutors have unsealed an indictment against two American citizens and two Chinese nationals, accusing them of a clandestine operation to funnel advanced Nvidia artificial intelligence (AI) chips to China. Authorities assert that the alleged plot not only violated stringent U.S. export controls but also posed a significant threat to national security.
The Department of Justice announced charges against Hon Ning “Mathew” Ho, 34, a U.S. citizen residing in Tampa; Brian Curtis Raymond, 46, of Huntsville, Alabama; Cham “Tony” Li, 38, a Chinese national living in San Leandro, California; and Jing “Harry” Chen, 45, a Chinese national on a student visa in Tampa. The defendants face multiple counts, including conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, smuggling, and money laundering.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg condemned the alleged actions, stating, “The indictment unsealed yesterday alleges a deliberate and deceptive effort to transship controlled Nvidia GPUs to China by falsifying paperwork, creating fake contracts and misleading U.S. authorities.” He emphasized the National Security Division’s commitment to “disrupting these kinds of black markets of sensitive U.S. technologies and holding accountable those who participate in this illicit trade.”
Prosecutors allege that the defendants utilized a Tampa-based company, Janford Realtor LLC, as a front to procure and export the restricted Nvidia GPUs. Despite its name, Janford Realtor reportedly never engaged in real estate activities, serving instead as a cover to conceal the illicit shipments of high-end processors destined for China.
The group is accused of conspiring from September 2023 through November 2025 to illegally export the advanced chips through various third countries, including Malaysia and Thailand, in an attempt to circumvent U.S. export controls. Investigators contend that the defendants engaged in falsifying documents, creating fraudulent contracts, and misleading authorities regarding the ultimate destination of the technology.
The conspiracy allegedly involved four separate exports of Nvidia GPUs to China. The first two shipments, occurring between October 2024 and January 2025, reportedly included approximately 400 Nvidia A100 processors. Law enforcement successfully intercepted two additional planned shipments before completion, which included 10 Hewlett Packard Enterprise supercomputers equipped with Nvidia H100 GPUs and 50 standalone H200 GPUs.
Investigators revealed that the defendants received over $3.8 million in wire transfers from China to finance the operation. None of the accused obtained the necessary licenses to export the technology, and authorities maintain that they knowingly misrepresented the final destination of the processors to evade U.S. export laws.
The indictment underscores the People’s Republic of China’s stated ambition to become the global leader in AI by 2030, a goal that includes leveraging AI for military modernization, such as the design and testing of weapons of mass destruction. The indictment specifically notes the PRC’s pursuit of cutting-edge U.S. technology, including Nvidia GPUs, in furtherance of this objective.
U.S. Attorney Gregory W.
Kehoe affirmed the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida to national security, stating, “Thanks to the dedicated investigative work by our law enforcement partners, these defendants who wrongfully exported this sensitive technology are facing justice.”