Four individuals, including two U.S. citizens and two Chinese nationals residing in the United States, have been charged with conspiring to illegally export advanced NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs) with artificial intelligence applications to China. The arrests were announced by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida.
The defendants 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 living in San Leandro, California; and Jing Chen, also known as “Harry Chen,” a 45-year-old Chinese national on an F-1 student visa residing in Tampa.
Ho and Chen were arrested and appeared in court in the Middle District of Florida on November 19, 2025. Raymond was arrested and appeared in the Northern District of Alabama. Li was arrested and scheduled to appear in the Northern District of California.
“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 prosecutors, China aims to become a global leader in artificial intelligence by 2030 and is seeking advanced technologies like NVIDIA GPUs for military modernization and weapons development efforts. In response to these concerns, starting October 2022, the Department of Commerce imposed new licensing requirements for exporting such technologies to China.
Between September 2023 and November 2025, authorities allege that Ho, Raymond, Li, and Chen conspired to violate these export controls by sending advanced GPUs through Malaysia and Thailand before reaching China. They reportedly used Janford Realtor LLC—a Tampa-based company owned by Ho and Li—as a front for purchasing and exporting controlled GPUs without proper authorization or licenses.
Raymond allegedly supplied NVIDIA GPUs through his Alabama electronics company as part of this operation. The indictment describes four separate exports: two successful shipments totaling 400 NVIDIA A100 GPUs between October 2024 and January 2025; two additional attempts involving Hewlett Packard supercomputers containing NVIDIA H100 GPUs and fifty NVIDIA H200 GPUs were stopped by law enforcement before completion.
Prosecutors say none of those involved sought required licenses for these exports but instead misrepresented shipment destinations to evade regulations. The group allegedly received over $3.89 million via wire transfers from China linked to this scheme.
The United States intends to seek forfeiture of fifty NVIDIA H200 GPUs connected with the attempted illegal exports.
Charges against each defendant include conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), ECRA violations ranging from one to four counts per person, smuggling counts up to three per person depending on involvement level, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and multiple counts of money laundering itself—up to nine counts for some defendants. Maximum penalties range from ten years per smuggling count up to twenty years per ECRA or money laundering count.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security. Prosecution will be led by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph K. Ruddy and Lindsey N. Schmidt (Middle District of Florida) along with Trial Attorney Menno Goedman from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
