Three Chinese nationals employed as visiting scholars at the University of Michigan were charged Wednesday in an alleged scheme to smuggle genetically modified roundworms and other biological materials into the U.S.
The arrests mark the latest in a string of cases involving Chinese nationals accused of illicitly transferring biological materials to or from University of Michigan research facilities.
Federal prosecutors alleged Xu Bai, 28; Fengfan Zhang, 27; and Zhiyong Zhang, 30, were working in a university laboratory under J-1 scholar visas when they conspired to receive concealed shipments from China containing petri dishes of the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, a common genetic research organism.
The shipments allegedly were sent by another Chinese national, Chengxuan Han, who earlier pleaded guilty to smuggling and false-statement charges and was removed from the U.S. after sentencing, according to the Department of Justice.
Federal investigators reportedly said one intercepted package contained eight petri dishes of genetically altered roundworms. University officials terminated the three scholars after they refused to cooperate with an internal inquiry.
“Educational institutions must enhance their admissions procedures to prevent exploitation, which can pose risks to national security,” Todd Lyons, acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director said in a news release.
Earlier this year, Chinese nationals Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu were charged with conspiring to smuggle a fungus called Fusarium graminearum — a pathogen that can devastate crops — into a University of Michigan laboratory.
And Han, the researcher accused of aiding the new defendants, had previously been charged with sending packages containing C. elegans specimens from Wuhan, China, to Ann Arbor, Michigan.
U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr., of the Eastern District of Michigan, described the incidents as part of an “alarming pattern of criminal activities committed by Chinese nationals under the cover of the University of Michigan.”
“This is a threat to our collective security,” Gorgon said in the news release. “We are thankful for the vigilance of our elite federal partners — ICE HSI [Homeland Security Investigations], FBI, and CBP — as a counterweight against this threat.”
The Department of Education in July opened an inquiry into the University of Michigan’s handling of foreign funding and research collaborations.
Bai and both Zhangs face conspiracy charges for smuggling biological materials into the U.S., each carrying a potential 20-year sentence, according to the DOJ.
Zhiyong Zhang was also charged with making false statements to Customs and Border Protection, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
Investigators said the three defendants booked flights to China in mid-October, shortly after the university revoked their visa status by terminating them from the program.
Federal officers intercepted them during an attempted departure from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
“The actions taken by the FBI and law enforcement partners reflect our firm commitment to protecting the American people, defending the homeland and prioritizing national security,” said Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit field office, in the news release.
“The FBI will not tolerate any attempt to exploit our nation’s institutions, whether higher learning or otherwise, for unlawful purposes.
“We will continue to work with our partners at ICE HSI and CBP to ensure the safety and strength of Michigan and our nation.”
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