A man has admitted stealing high-tech patent-protected inbred corn seeds to take to China for commercial use.
Mo Hailong, 46, was part of a plot to steal the seeds from two US companies so that his employer back home could use them.
The Chinese man "admitted to participating in the theft of inbred - or parent - corn seeds from fields in the southern district of Iowa for the purpose of transporting those seeds to China", the US Department of Justice said.
"The stolen inbred seeds constitute the valuable intellectual property of DuPont Pioneer and Monsanto."
The crime carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
A plea deal means he will not be sentenced to more than five years in prison - he will be sentenced at a later date.
His sister, Mo Yun, was charged with trying to steal patented US seeds in July 2014.
The man's case comes just days after five people were charged with trying to steal trade secrets from DuPont for Chinese firms.
The group sought trade secrets on producing a valuable white pigment used in paint, plastics and paper - according to court papers.
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