Two New Jersey men were sentenced to federal prison on April 14 and 15 for operating a sophisticated “laptop farm” that allowed North Korean operatives to infiltrate more than 100 U.S. companies and successfully exfiltrate export-controlled artificial intelligence data from a California-based defense contractor.
Kejia “Tony” Wang, 42, of Edison, received 108 months on April 15 for wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft conspiracy. Zhenxing “Danny” Wang, 39, of New Brunswick, received 92 months on April 14 for wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton ordered both men to forfeit $600,000 combined and serve three years of supervised release.
Two U.S. Nationals Sentenced for Facilitating Fraudulent Remote Information Technology Worker Scheme that Generated $5M in Revenue for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
“For years, the defendants enriched themselves by assisting North Korean actors in a fraudulent scheme… pic.twitter.com/fcaE0qA7V1
— National Security Division, U.S. Dept of Justice (@DOJNatSec) April 15, 2026
“The ruse placed North Korean IT workers on the payrolls of unwitting U.S. companies and in U.S. computer systems, thereby harming our national security,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said.
Between 2021 and October 2024, the defendants stole more than 80 U.S. identities to place overseas workers at over 100 firms, including Fortune 500 companies, causing at least $3 million in damages.
They created shell companies, including Hopana Tech LLC and Independent Lab LLC, and connected employer-issued laptops to keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) switches, hardware devices that allow remote computer access, to give North Korean workers a foothold inside company networks.
Court documents show that between January 19 and April 2, 2024, an overseas co-conspirator used the network to access and exfiltrate files from a California defense contractor developing artificial intelligence-powered equipment, including technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the federal framework governing U.S. defense technology exports.
“These sentencings should act as a deterrent to foreign individuals and entities attempting to illegally access and export critical defense information,” said Special Agent in Charge John Helsing of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office.
The sentences represent the latest enforcement action under the DOJ and FBI’s DPRK RevGen Domestic Enabler Initiative. Eight co-conspirators charged in June 2025 remain at large.
The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program is offering up to $5 million for information on the fugitives.
