The US attorney's office for the District of Massachusetts has federally indicted a professor from Harvard University over accusations of his lying about his involvement with the Chinese government and Chinese companies. Federal authorities confirmed that the college professor and two Chinese nationals will be facing three separate cases over their ties with China.
According to authorities, the case against the professor highlights the "ongoing threat" posed by China's espionage efforts using "nontraditional" agents. Federal agents told reporters that China often uses people in high-security positions in its continued attempt to steal US research and technology. These people include academics and researchers in well-known universities and American companies.
60-year old Dr. Charles Leiber, who is the chair of the university's Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department, allegedly lied about his dealings with several Chinese organizations. Investigators revealed that Leiber had received hundreds of thousands of dollars from these companies.
US Attorney Andrew Lelling mentioned during a press conference that Lieber and his research group at the university had received more than $15 million in funding from the Depart of Defense and the National Institutes of Health. Part of the funding required Leiber and personnel at his department to fully disclose any possible conflicts of interest.
Leiber allegedly lied about his affiliation with the Wuhan University of Technology (WUT) and several other dealings with a number of Chinese entities. The dealings included a contract with a Chinese talent recruitment agency whose aim is to attract academics to travel and work in China. An unknown source alleged that Leiber was receiving up to $50,000 per month from China's WUT for his assistance in helping it build its own nanoscience research lab.
Following the indictment, Harvard University officials mentioned in a statement that it is willing to fully cooperate with federal authorities in their follow-up investigations. The university also revealed that it has placed Leiber on indefinite administrative leave.
The other two people that were also indicted on Tuesday included 29-year-old Chinese national Yanqing Ye. According to the US Attorney's office, Yangqing has been charged with making false statements, conspiracy, and visa fraud. Yangqing apparently lied about being a student on her visa application and her military service prior to being employed as a scientific research at Boston University.
The third person that was indicted was a Chinese national named Zaosong Zheng. The cancer researcher was caught trying to smuggle 21 vials of biological material from the US to China. Zaosong's entry into the US was sponsored by Harvard University.
