Chinese scientist faces hearing after pathogen seized by FBI
(NewsNation) — A detention hearing was postponed on Thursday for Yunqing Jian, a Chinese scientist who was caught smuggling a pathogen into the U.S. last year.
Jian and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, were charged by the FBI earlier this week with conspiracy, smuggling, making false statements and visa fraud.
The FBI says Liu tried to sneak Fusarium graminearum into the country but was turned away and sent back to China after changing his story during an interrogation about red plant material discovered in his backpack.
Unlicensed EMT indicted after allegedly caring for over 100 patients
Jian and Liu had exchanged messages suggesting that Jian was already tending to the toxic fungus at a University of Michigan lab before Liu, a lab researcher at the university, was caught at the Detroit airport.
The university does not have federal permits to handle it.
The FBI acknowledged that a scientific journal described Fusarium graminearum as a potential 'agroterrorism weapon.'
The pathogen is known to cause diseases in wheat, barley, maize and rice.
The new court date has been announced for June 13.
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