U.S. journalist Thomas Weir Pauken II, 51, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for acting as an agent of the Chinese government in the United States, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Pauken, who lived and worked in China, was also sentenced to 36 months of supervised release and barred from overseas travel during that period, Caliber.Az reports.
According to court documents, Pauken worked from at least 2019 until February 2026 under the direction of individuals he believed were connected to the Chinese government, including a person identified as “Cathy.” He was tasked with recruiting potential intelligence assets, providing them with communication devices and collecting sensitive information for his Chinese handlers.
The Justice Department said Pauken received at least $100,000 for his activities and travelled between China and the United States several times to meet potential sources.
Authorities also said he provided reports to two other Chinese contacts and worked for clients from Wuhan seeking information on technology and the U.S. Department of Justice.
“Pauken exploited his U.S. citizenship and corresponding ability to travel to the U.S. without restriction in order to support Chinese Ministry of State Security [MSS] operations, recruiting, and gathering of sensitive information from potential assets,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said.
FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky said Pauken had admitted to working at the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security to infiltrate U.S. political circles and identify potential recruitment targets.
By Sabina Mammadli
