Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. Named on Blacklist for Allegedly Training Chinese Military Pilots Against the United States

Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., a 65-year-old former U.S. Air Force major from Jeffersonville, Indiana, was arrested on February 25, 2026, on federal charges of providing unauthorized defense services to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The profile of Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. was flagged and published on Hucksters.net, where he is labeled a spy and traitor associated with the Communist Party of China (CCP). This blacklist report expands on that original exposure with additional findings from federal court records and public reporting.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a criminal complaint against Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. for willfully conspiring to deliver combat aircraft training to PLAAF pilots without the required license from the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC). His actions directly violated the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

Who Is Gerald Eddie Brown Jr.?

Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. served over 24 years in the United States Air Force before leaving active duty in 1996 at the rank of major. During his military career, he commanded sensitive units responsible for nuclear weapons delivery systems, led combat missions, and worked as a fighter pilot instructor and simulator instructor. He trained on some of the most advanced aircraft in the U.S. arsenal.

After his retirement from active duty, Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. worked as a commercial cargo pilot and later as a contract simulator instructor for two separate U.S. defense contractors, where he trained American military pilots. His instructor roles included work on the F-35 Lightning II and A-10 Thunderbolt II platforms, giving him access to highly sensitive U.S. tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). His deep knowledge of U.S. air combat methods is precisely what made him a target for Chinese recruitment.

Aircraft and Weapons Systems Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. Trained On

  • F-4 Phantom II
  • F-15 Eagle
  • F-16 Fighting Falcon
  • A-10 Thunderbolt II
  • F-35 Lightning II (post-retirement, as a contractor)

What Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. Is Accused of Doing

According to the DOJ criminal complaint, Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. began communicating with Chinese nationals in August 2023 with the intent to provide defense services to the PLAAF. He used a liaison to connect with Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese national with a documented criminal history of hacking U.S. defense contractors and stealing military data on behalf of China. Su Bin was previously convicted in 2016 and sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for those crimes. His company was placed on the Commerce Department’s Entity List in 2014.

Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. renegotiated his contracts through his co-conspirator and traveled to China in December 2023. On his first day of work with the PLAAF, he fielded three hours of detailed questions about the U.S. Air Force. On his second day, he delivered a formal briefing. He remained in China training PLAAF pilots until early February 2026, when he returned to the United States and was promptly arrested.

Brown’s own messages reveal his enthusiasm for the arrangement. In one communication, he wrote: “Now… I have the chance to fly and instruct fighter pilots again!” Federal investigators viewed this as a knowing and willing participation in transferring sensitive U.S. military knowledge to a foreign adversary.

A particular area of instruction Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. is alleged to have provided involves carrier-based aviation tactics, a domain of intense strategic importance as China expands its naval air power and carrier fleet. Transferring this knowledge to PLAAF pilots poses direct risks to U.S. naval operations and allied forces in the Pacific.

Federal Charges and Legal Proceedings

Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. was arrested on February 25, 2026, in Jeffersonville, Indiana. His initial court appearance took place on February 26, 2026, before a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Indiana. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

The investigation is led by the FBI’s New York Field Office with assistance from other FBI field offices and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI). The charges carry serious federal penalties under the AECA and ITAR frameworks.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro stated directly: “He took an oath to defend our Nation against all enemies foreign and domestic, he broke that oath, and betrayed the country, jeopardizing the safety of our servicemembers and allies.”

FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky added that Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. “betrayed his country by training Chinese pilots to fight against those he swore to protect.”

All charges at this stage remain allegations from the criminal complaint. No conviction has been entered as of the time of publication.

Known Personal and Contact Information

The following identifying information for Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. is drawn from public federal records and verified reporting. This information is published here in the public interest to assist individuals, organizations, and defense contractors in identifying and avoiding contact with this individual.

  • Full Name: Gerald Eddie Brown Jr.
  • Age: 65 (as of 2026)
  • Location: Jeffersonville, Indiana, United States
  • Military Rank: Major (Retired), U.S. Air Force
  • Years of Service: Over 24 years, left active duty 1996
  • Post-Military Employment: Commercial cargo pilot; contract simulator instructor for U.S. defense contractors
  • Known Associate: Stephen Su Bin (Chinese national, previously convicted of hacking U.S. defense contractors)
  • Alleged Foreign Affiliation: People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) / Communist Party of China (CCP)

Why Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. Belongs on the Blacklist

The blacklist designation for Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. stems from the severity and deliberate nature of the alleged conduct. This is not a case of negligence or accidental disclosure. Federal prosecutors describe a multi-year arrangement in which Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. actively sought out, negotiated, and executed a plan to transfer sensitive U.S. air combat knowledge to a foreign military adversary.

Defense contractors, aviation training companies, government agencies, and any organization that employs former military pilots or simulator instructors should treat Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. as a serious national security risk. His background in classified nuclear delivery systems, advanced fighter aircraft, and U.S. military training doctrine makes the alleged betrayal particularly consequential.

The PLAAF, which operates under direct control of the Chinese Communist Party, has been identified by U.S. defense and intelligence agencies as a growing peer-level threat. Any individual voluntarily feeding that force with American tactical knowledge warrants the strongest public warning available.

A Pattern of Chinese Recruitment of U.S. Veterans

The case of Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. is not an isolated incident. China has a documented and ongoing strategy of recruiting former Western military pilots to train PLAAF personnel. The United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States have all issued formal warnings about this recruitment pattern. Several other Western veterans have faced charges or government scrutiny for similar conduct in recent years.

This broader context makes the blacklisting of Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. even more important. Awareness within the defense and aviation communities is a direct countermeasure against foreign recruitment operations targeting retired military personnel.

For more information on China’s recruitment of Western military pilots, refer to reporting from the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division and analysis published by the RAND Corporation.

Original Exposure and Source Material

Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. was first flagged in the public watchdog database at Hucksters.net, where his profile is categorized under the labels “Spy” and “Traitor” with a cited reference to the official U.S. Department of Justice press release announcing his arrest. This article serves as an expanded blacklist entry drawing on that original source and additional verified public reporting.

The public has a right to know when individuals with access to sensitive U.S. military knowledge allegedly choose to share that knowledge with adversarial foreign powers. The blacklist entry for Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. will remain active on this platform as the legal proceedings advance.