American Citizen Sentenced to Two Years for Acting as Agent of China
Thomas Weir Pauken II was sentenced in the Eastern District of Virginia for acting as an agent of a foreign government.
3 reports on this incident · first at Sep 1, 2026, 5:21 p.m. ET
This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.
We last searched for new coverage of this at Sep 1, 2026, 5:39 p.m. ET — checked 27h ago.
Earlier reports
Sep 1, 2026, 5:22 p.m. ET
American Citizen Sentenced to Two Years for Acting as Agent of China
Thomas Weir Pauken II, 51, was sentenced to two years in prison and 36 months of supervised release with no overseas travel, according to the Justice Department. The sentence was imposed in the Eastern District of Virginia.
According to court documents, from at least 2019 until February 2026, Pauken worked at the direction and control of people he knew worked for the PRC, including a person he met in 2017 identified as 'Cathy.' The FBI investigated the case.
Sep 1, 2026, 5:21 p.m. ETFirst report
American Citizen Sentenced for Acting as Agent of China
Thomas Weir Pauken II, 51, was sentenced on September 1, 2026, in the Eastern District of Virginia to two years in prison and 36 months of supervised release with no overseas travel, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Pauken had been charged with acting as an agent of a foreign government within the United States.
According to court documents, from at least 2019 until February 2026, Pauken worked at the direction and control of people he knew worked for the People's Republic of China, including a person he met in 2017 identified as 'Cathy.' The case was investigated by the FBI.
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Revision history
- Version 12 Sept 2026, 12:52current
First published.
- Version 11 Sept 2026, 21:21current
First published.
- Version 11 Sept 2026, 21:22current
First published.
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