Agriculture spies target seed technology, feds say

The charge against Mo comes in a state that has pushed to increase trade with China. In October, trade agreements worth an estimated $1 billion were signed by companies from Iowa and China's Hebei Province.Mo allegedly stole inbred corn seeds from fields in Iowa and Illinois between September 2011 and October 2012 that represented several years worth of research, according to a criminal complaint. Inbred seeds are valuable because they pass on drought- and pest-resistant traits to planting seeds that will be grown and harvested.Mo, a Chinese citizen and permanent U.S. resident, faces up to 10 years in prison and a $5 million fine, officials said. He works for a company that's a part of DBN Group, a Chinese conglomerate with a corn seed company, Kings Nower Seed.Additional charges may be filed against the other men who helped Mo try to steal the seed technology, officials said.