H5N1 Chinese scientist was sentenced to 121 months inwards a federal prison theater for conspiring to pocket samples of a multifariousness of rice seeds from a Kansas biopharmaceutical query facility.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of the Justice Department’s National Security Division in addition to U.S. Attorney Stephen R. McAllister of the District of Kansas made the announcement.
Weiqiang Zhang, 51, a Chinese national, in addition to U.S. legal permanent resident residing inwards Manhattan, Kansas, was sentenced past times U.S. District Court Judge Carlos Murguia inwards the District of Kansas. Zhang was convicted on Feb. 15, 2017 of 1 count of conspiracy to pocket merchandise secrets, 1 count of conspiracy to commit interstate shipping of stolen belongings in addition to 1 count of interstate shipping of stolen property.
Evidence at trial established that Zhang worked every bit a rice breeder for Ventria Bioscience inwards Junction City, Kansas. Ventria develops genetically programmed rice to limited recombinant human proteins, which are in addition to then extracted for role inwards the therapeutic in addition to medical fields. Zhang has a master’s bird inwards agriculture from Shengyang Agricultural University inwards mainland People's Republic of China in addition to a doctorate from Louisiana State University.
According to trial evidence, Zhang acquired without authority hundreds of rice seeds produced past times Ventria in addition to stored them at his residence inwards Manhattan. The rice seeds accept a broad multifariousness of wellness query applications in addition to were developed to hit either human serum albumin, contained inwards blood, or lactoferrin, an iron-binding poly peptide found, for example, inwards human milk. Ventria spent millions of dollars in addition to years of query developing its seeds in addition to cost-effective methods to extract the proteins, which are used to educate lifesaving products for global markets. Ventria used locked doors amongst magnetic menu readers to limit access to the temperature-controlled environs where the seeds were stored in addition to processed.
Trial bear witness demonstrated that inwards the summertime of 2013, personnel from a crop query institute inwards mainland People's Republic of China visited Zhang at his dwelling delineate solid inwards Manhattan. Zhang drove the visitors to tour facilities inwards Iowa, Missouri in addition to Ohio. On Aug. 7, 2013, U.S. Customs in addition to Border Protection officers found seeds belonging to Ventria inwards the luggage of Zhang’s visitors every bit they prepared to exit the U.S. of A. of America for China.
“Weiqiang Zhang betrayed his employer past times unlawfully providing its proprietary rice seeds to representatives of a Chinese crop institute,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Cronan. “Today’s judgement demonstrates the pregnant consequences awaiting those who would pocket merchandise secrets from American companies. The Criminal Division in addition to its constabulary enforcement partners volition transcend on to operate closely amongst companies similar Ventria to protect American intellectual property—which is essential to our economic scheme in addition to means of life—against all threats both unusual in addition to domestic.”
“Cross-border intellectual belongings theft non alone hurts victim companies, it every bit good threatens our national security,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “FBI’s vigilance stopped Ventria’s intellectual belongings from leaving our province inwards the nick of time, exactly it was Ventria’s cooperation that allowed us to concur Zhang accountable for his crimes.”
“Ventria invested years of query in addition to tens of millions of dollars to practise a novel in addition to beneficial product,” said U.S. Attorney McAllister. “It is vital that nosotros protect such intellectual belongings from theft in addition to exploitation past times unusual interests. We all practise goodness when American companies transcend on to elbow grease socially valuable advancements inwards food, medicine in addition to technology.”
The FBI’s Little Rock, Arkansas, Field Office in addition to Kansas City, Missouri, Field Office, U.S. Customs in addition to Border Protection in addition to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas investigated the case. Trial Attorney Matt Walczewski of the National Security Division, Trial Attorneys Brian Resler in addition to Evan Williams of the Computer Crime in addition to Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) in addition to Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask of the District of Kansas prosecuted the case.
Comments
Post a Comment