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Tour guide admits to spying for China
A Bay Area tour guide will likely spend four years in prison after pleading guilty to being an agent for China.
Prosecutors allege Xuehua Edward Peng passed US national security information to officials in China multiple times over a three-year period.
Peng took a plea deal which includes a fine of $30,000.
Peng, 57, is a naturalized US citizen who operated tours for Chinese visitors and students in San Francisco for his business U.S. Tour and Travel.
"I was never informed of the contents of these devices and at no time learned what information was stored on them," Peng said in the plea agreement.
Peng was paid ‘at least $30,000 for the acts’ court documents said.
If it went to trial Peng could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
However the judge declined to accept the plea deal until the sentencing hearing in March.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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