Justice · Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Thomas Pauken II sentenced to two years for acting as a PRC agent
The File desk · Sep 2, 2026, 1:20 PM UTC
Status
Confirmed from the Justice Department sentencing announcement.
On Sept. 1, 2026, DOJ said Thomas Weir Pauken II, 51, an American citizen who lived and worked in the PRC, was sentenced to two years in prison and 36 months of supervised release with no overseas travel for acting as an agent of a foreign government in the United States. DOJ said that from at least 2019 until February 2026 he worked at the direction of people he knew worked for the PRC, including a handler identified as “Cathy,” received at least $100,000, and that FBI Philadelphia investigated. Eastern District of Virginia.
The Justice Department said: “Thomas Weir Pauken II, 51, an American citizen who lived and worked in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was sentenced today to two years in prison and 36 months of supervised release with no overseas travel for acting as an agent of a foreign government within the United States.”
According to court documents as described in the release, from at least 2019 until February 2026 Pauken worked at the direction and control of people he knew worked for the PRC, including a person identified as “Cathy.” DOJ said he received at least $100,000 for his work with Cathy. The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office investigated. The case was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia.
What is still unknown or disputed
- The judgment PDF was not fetched; the sentence is from the DOJ announcement.
Primary sources
Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.
Source 1
American Citizen who Worked as an Agent for the PRC Sentenced to Two Years in Prison
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs · September 1, 2026
Thomas Weir Pauken II, 51, an American citizen who lived and worked in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was sentenced today to two years in prison and 36 months of supervised release with no overseas travel for acting as an agent of a foreign government within the United States. Pauken received at least $100,000 for his work with Cathy. The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office investigated the case.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/american-citizen-who-worked-agent-prc-sentenced-two-years-prison