HAYWARD (KRON) — In the East Bay, federal investigators arrested Edward Peng, a Bay Area man accused of being a spy for China.
Authorities are charging him with using secret locations to deliver information, payments and personally carrying to Beijing secure digital cards containing classified information related to U.S. national security.
“I’ve seen like 10 or 15 FBI cars so I think they were like collecting evidence,” said Mohammed Khan, who lives in the same neighborhood as the suspect.
In a Hayward home with a white picket fence and luxury SUVs out front lived a spy for China, says U.S. government officials.
Edward Peng, 56, was arrested Friday at his Hayward home.
Authorities announced his arrest Monday, claiming he delivered classified United States information to the People’s Republic of China.
“My wife just saw some FBI agents over there in front of his house, there were like 10 or 15 of them, questioning and bringing stuff inside the house,” said another neighbor Amil Kapoor.
The U.S. Department of Justice released surveillance video of Peng allegedly delivering payments and personally carrying SD cards containing information related to U.S. national security.
Authorities say over six occasions occurred between 2015 and 2018 in Newark, Oakland and Georgia.
What appears to be Peng sifting through a bag in his hotel room, authorities say he’s actually dropping cash up to $20,000 and SD cards with information.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says a double agent led to Peng’s arrest, who was working with us officials to obtain this surveillance video.
The double agent would then get a key to the room, take the cash and leave an SD card with information, said the criminal complaint.
Peng would then take the card and travel to Beijing to meet Chinese intelligence officers.
“He seemed like a really nice guy though. I’m surprised that whatever he did was,” Khan said.
His wife was home Monday but did not want to talk on camera.
She says she has no idea what’s happening to her husband.