Spy caught in DuPont Pioneer corn fields cuts deal with Feds

Jan 29, 2016

Feds will seek no more than five years in prison for stealing seeds

By Joe Dales, Vice-President, Farms.com

Remember when DuPont Pioneer security found the Chinese spy crawling around in Iowa cornfields a couple years ago?

Mo Hailong entered a plea agreement on Wednesday with U.S. prosecutors, admitting he stole seeds from DuPont Pioneer and Monsanto, with the intention to ship them back to China so that genetic traits could be reproduced.

Mr. Mo, 46, will be sentenced in Des Moines. He originally could have received up to a 10-year sentence, but with this agreement, his maximum term will be five years.

He was arrested in December 2013 following an investigation after DuPont Pioneer security alerted the FBI they’d witnessed a number of Chinese men crawling around in cornfields.

Mr. Mo was accused of the conspiracy after he travelled to Illinois and Iowa as an employee of Kings Nower Seed, a subsidiary of the Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group.

He is the only person prosecuted after five other Chinese citizens working with him fled the country.

The 20-year resident of the U.S. still may be deported after he serves his upcoming sentence.

Video: Early Fall Colors | Scenic Ontario Road Trip!

All adventures must come to an end, but not without one more journey! Join The Wandering Shepherds as we say farewell to our cozy Calabogie cottage and take the scenic road trip home to Ewetopia Farms. Our first stop was a breathtaking hydroelectric generating station, framed by cliffs, rushing water, and brilliant fall leaves that seemed to have changed overnight. From there, we meandered along winding backroads through lakes and hills, soaking in the spectacular autumn scenery. This year, the colors seemed to arrive earlier than usual—perhaps due to the summer’s drought? Whatever the reason, it was an unforgettable display of Ontario’s fall beauty. Finally, our holiday drew to a close as we pulled back into Ewetopia Farms, ready to return to the sheep and our daily vlogs. But this trip reminded us how important it is to pause, explore, and appreciate the simple beauty around us.