Chinese national accused of smuggling fungus agrees to detention
A Chinese national accused in a case involving the smuggling of a fungus that can causes a disease in crops for use in research at a University of Michigan lab agreed to be detained during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Detroit.
Yunqing Jian, 33, who works at the lab, appeared in federal court June 13, more than a week after her initial detention hearing was adjourned for her to retain a private attorney.
She appeared in court with her attorneys, David Duncan and Norman Zalkind of Boston and local attorney James Gerometta. Duncan and Zalkind stood with Jian, who speaks English and wore an orange jail jumper with Sanilac County written on the back. She answered simple yes or no questions posed by Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Stafford.
A preliminary hearing was adjourned to a future date, which has not yet been set. Duncan had no comment after the hearing.
Jian has been held since her initial appearance June 3. She and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, 34, are charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements and visa fraud, according to a criminal complaint.Federal prosecutors indicated in a news release that the fungus is Fusarium graminearum, which scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon. It causes "head blight," a disease of the crops, and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year. The toxins the fungus produces can cause vomiting, liver damage and reproductive defects in livestock and humans, the release said.
Liu allegedly smuggled the fungus into the country at Detroit Metro Airport in clear plastic baggies in his backpack July 27. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers denied him entry and processed him for expedited removal back to China, according to an affidavit in court.
In a separate federal case, Chengxuan Han, a Chinese citizen accused of bringing biological materials related to roundworms into the country for her work at a U-M laboratory, also agreed to be detained during a hearing earlier in federal court June 13. She is charged with smuggling goods into the United States and making false statements.
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Chinese national agrees to detention in case of smuggled fungus
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