Sydney man jailed for 3.5 years for providing fake defense reports to Chinese spies

Between May and December 2022, Csergo prepared fake and plagiarized reports for Chinese operatives known as Ken and Evelyn, concerning Australia’s defense arrangements. The relationship began in November 2021 when Csergo, who was living and working in China at the time, was approached on LinkedIn by a woman claiming to be from a Chinese thinktank. While Csergo knew Ken and Evelyn were working for China’s Ministry of State Security, the judge found it was not proven he was reckless about the prospect of helping the foreign power from the moment he was contacted.

Csergo compiled reports using open-source information on topics including lithium mining, German politics, and defense and security. He was specifically tasked with gathering information on Australia’s involvement in the Quad security group and the AUKUS deal. He also falsely claimed to have interviewed individuals, including former prime minister Kevin Rudd. The reports were exchanged for cash payments equivalent to thousands of dollars.

Judge Craig Smith noted that while the information itself was considered worthless, the jury accepted that Csergo's relationship with the operatives was valuable. Smith stated the actions were not overly sophisticated but acknowledged the extensive nature of Csergo's work. Although Ken provided a list of sensitive topics for research upon returning to Australia in early 2023, there was no evidence Csergo engaged in espionage related to that list. The judge emphasized the importance of deterring others from compromising national security.