Two U.S. citizens and two Chinese nationals living in the United States have been charged with conspiring to illegally export advanced NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs) with artificial intelligence applications to China, according to an announcement by Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida.
The individuals arrested are Hon Ning Ho, also known as Mathew Ho, a 34-year-old U.S. citizen born in Hong Kong and residing in Tampa, Florida; Brian Curtis Raymond, a 46-year-old U.S. citizen from Huntsville, Alabama; Cham Li, also known as Tony Li, a 38-year-old Chinese national from San Leandro, California; and Jing Chen, also known as Harry Chen, a 45-year-old Chinese national on an F-1 student visa living in Tampa. On November 19, 2025, Ho and Chen were taken into custody and appeared in court in Florida. Raymond was arrested in Alabama, while Li was apprehended in California.
“The indictment unsealed yesterday alleges a deliberate and deceptive effort to transship controlled NVIDIA GPUs to China by falsifying paperwork, creating fake contracts, and misleading U.S. authorities,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “The National Security Division is committed to disrupting these kinds of black markets of sensitive U.S. technologies and holding accountable those who participate in this illicit trade.”
“As demonstrated by this indictment, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida is firmly committed to safeguarding our country’s national security,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “Thanks to the dedicated investigative work by our law enforcement partners, these defendants who wrongfully exported this sensitive technology are facing justice.”
According to the indictment documents, China aims to become a global leader in artificial intelligence by 2030 and has sought AI technologies for military modernization efforts as well as for designing weapons of mass destruction and deploying surveillance tools using AI systems. To address these concerns regarding national security risks posed by such technology transfers, starting October 2022 the Department of Commerce imposed new licensing requirements for exporting certain advanced technologies—including NVIDIA GPUs—to China.
Prosecutors allege that between September 2023 and November 2025 Ho, Raymond, Li, and Chen worked together to bypass these export controls by sending advanced GPUs through Malaysia and Thailand before reaching China. The group used Janford Realtor LLC—a Tampa-based company owned by Ho and Li—as a front for purchasing and shipping controlled GPUs overseas despite its lack of real estate business activity. Additionally, Raymond supplied NVIDIA GPUs via his electronics company based in Alabama.
The indictment details four attempts at exporting NVIDIA GPUs: two shipments totaling 400 NVIDIA A100 units reached China between October 2024 and January 2025; two further shipments—intended to include ten Hewlett Packard Enterprises supercomputers with H100 GPUs plus fifty standalone H200 GPUs—were intercepted before completion due to law enforcement intervention.
None of the accused sought or obtained required export licenses despite knowing they were necessary under U.S. law; instead they misrepresented shipment destinations on official documents as part of their plan to evade regulations. Authorities claim more than $3.89 million was wired from China to fund this operation.
The United States government is seeking forfeiture of fifty NVIDIA H200 GPUs linked with this alleged illegal export scheme.
Each defendant faces multiple charges under statutes governing export control violations (the Export Control Reform Act), smuggling laws, money laundering conspiracy statutes, along with individual counts relating specifically to money laundering activities associated with each transaction attempt or completion:
- Hon Ning Ho: Conspiracy under ECRA; four ECRA violations; three smuggling counts; conspiracy/actual money laundering (nine counts); up to twenty years per ECRA violation; ten years per smuggling count.
- Brian Curtis Raymond: Conspiracy under ECRA; two ECRA violations; one smuggling count; conspiracy/actual money laundering (seven counts); similar penalties.
- Cham Li: Conspiracy under ECRA; one ECRA violation; one smuggling count; conspiracy/money laundering charge.
- Jing Chen: Conspiracy under ECRA; one ECRA violation; one smuggling count; conspiracy/money laundering charge.
Homeland Security Investigations led the case alongside Defense Criminal Investigative Service investigators and officials from the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security division.
Assistant U.S Attorneys Joseph K Ruddy & Lindsey N Schmidt (Middle District Florida) plus Menno Goedman (National Security Division) are prosecuting the case.
An indictment constitutes only an allegation—all defendants remain presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
