2 sentenced as spies for China tied to $10K in Livermore backpack

Two Chinese nationals, Liren Lai and Yuance Chen, have been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for their roles in an espionage operation. The pair facilitated a $10,000 secret payment for U.S. military intelligence via a 'dead drop' in a Livermore locker. Prosecutors stated the agents were working for China's Ministry of State Security to recruit military personnel and gather sensitive information regarding U.S. national security installations.