Attorney: Ex-NASA contractor to plead not guilty

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — A former contractor at NASA's Langley Research Center arrested while trying to fly to China will plead not guilty to lying to federal authorities about what electronics he was taking with him, according to his attorney.

Bo Jiang was arrested at Dulles International Airport on Saturday while trying to fly to Beijing on a one-way ticket. An FBI affidavit says Jiang was under investigation for possible violations of the Arms Control Act when he was approached by federal agents and asked what electronics he was taking to China.

The affidavit says he told agents that he had a cellphone, a memory stick, an external hard drive and a new computer. However, the affidavit says agents searched him and found an additional laptop, an old hard drive and a SIM card for a cell phone.

Jiang's attorney Fernando Groene said Jiang was unfairly targeted and is looking forward to being vindicated.