After more than a year of investigation and subpoenas, chinese-American researchers have pleaded guilty to charges of selling trade secrets to China. The U.S. justice department announced that was in Columbus, Ohio in the United States national Children’s Hospital (Nationwide Children’s Hospital) do research of Chinese man et al (Yu Zhou, a December 11 in the United States district court for stealing and outside secrete various related study, identification and treatment of pediatric diseases of commercial secrets, and to gain admission of guilt.
The data show that exosomes are an important topic in tumor research in various countries. Tumor-generated exosomes (TDE) play an important role in inducing tumor metastasis, creating conditions suitable for tumor metastasis, and helping tumors evade immune system surveillance.
Zhou yu, 50, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to wire fraud. Zhou yu’s wife, Li Chen, is also being investigated and charged. Zhou yu and his 47-year-old wife worked in different medical research laboratories at the institute for 10 years (Zhou from 2007 to 2017 and Chen from 2008 to 2018). They conspired to steal trade secrets related to exosome research from the National Children’s Hospital.
The justice Department announcement said Zhou and Chen’s plea agreement shows they conspired to steal trade secrets and sold one of them to make a “quarantine package” for profit. Zhou’s research at the National Children’s Hospital includes a novel method of isolating exosomes from a drop of blood. The method is important for Zhou’s laboratory work because necrotizing enterocolitis is a condition found primarily in premature infants, who receive only a small amount of body fluids.
The defendant admitted to setting up a company in China to sell quarantine bags. They benefit from the Chinese government, such as the Foreign Experts Affairs Administration and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
“Today’s plea agreement underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to protecting the United States’ research and trade secrets from harm,” said John C.demers, assistant Attorney General for National Security. Some are motivated by Chinese government programs to steal American research and trade secrets. It is a common practice in China to steal, copy and replace products that it is not capable of developing, and those who seek to profit from the theft of trade secrets will be held accountable.”
Zhou and Chen were arrested in California in July 2019. Chen pleaded guilty in July 2020 to conspiracy to steal trade secrets and wire fraud.
As part of the plea deal, the couple had agreed to forfeit any property or proceeds related to the crime. Among them, Ms. Chen agreed to pay a fine of about $1.4 million, including 500,000 shares of Avalon GloboCare Corp. Common shares of the Company and 400 common shares of GenExosome Technologies Inc. Details of Zhou’s seizure will be finalized through the sentencing process.
A report in The State-run Global Times in September 2019 called the FBI’s investigation into the theft of trade secrets by Zhou Yu and Chen Li a “red scare,” saying it was another attempt by the United States to reach out to Chinese-American scientists.
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