Thomas Weir Pauken II: 5 things to know about Americans caught spying for China

“His actions were a betrayal of this country and posed an unacceptable risk to our national security,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The NSA remains committed to protecting information critical to our national security, including through appropriate prosecutions.”

“This case demonstrates the lengths the Chinese Communist Party will go to undermine our democratic institutions and reduce our political freedoms, but it also demonstrates the FBI’s determination to defend our country from national security threats,” said Roman Rozhavsky, assistant director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division.

Pauken faces up to 10 years in prison and will be sentenced on September 1. Here’s everything you need to know about him.

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Authorities said his activities on behalf of contacts in China continued from at least 2019 until February 2026.

2. Pauken works under the guidance of Chinese managers. “By Thomas Balkan’s own admission, he not only attempted to infiltrate U.S. politics at the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security, but he also collected intelligence about U.S. targets and reported it to Chinese intelligence agents,” Rozavsky said.

The Justice Department said Balken worked with a woman identified in court documents as “Cathy,” whom he met in 2017 and knew she had ties to the Chinese government.

Prosecutors said Cathy assigned him tasks including meeting with potential intelligence operatives, providing communications equipment and gathering information sought by Chinese authorities.

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3. Pauken received more than $100,000 from the Chinese government. Court records show Pauken was paid at least $100,000 for his activities.

Additionally, Cathy funded Pauken’s multiple trips to the United States from China between 2019 and 2025 to meet with individuals who could provide intelligence to Pauken, Cathy, and China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS).

4. Pauken sells sensitive government-related information. According to prosecutors, Baoken conspired to obtain information from sources in the United States that could ultimately benefit the government of the People’s Republic of China.

A group of Chinese nationals living in Wuhan were looking for information about the technology, and the Justice Department purchased the report from Pauken. Clients in Wuhan asked Pauken to find an expert to assist them with cyber espionage operations.

5. Pauken served in some capacity in Japan. Bowken was also employed by “Richard” and “William,” two other people he met in China in 2017. Bowken believed they were employed by the government of the People’s Republic of China, but they told him that reports he wrote for them were sent to Japan.