A businessman from China who pleaded guilty to stealing trade secrets from U.S. seed corn companies has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Mo Hailong, 47, was accused of traveling to the Midwest with other employees of Kings Nower Seed to take corn seeds out of fields in Iowa with the intention of shipping them to China where scientists would copy them.
Mo, who goes by the name Robert Mo, admitted to conspiring to steal trade secrets from DuPont Pioneer and Monsanto.
During sentencing Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie Rose said she hoped to show Chinese companies that such crimes aren’t tolerated in the U.S.
Mo’s attorney, Mark Weinhardt, says Mo is remorseful and focused on putting the matter behind him, according to The Des Moines Register.