SPY PLEADS GUILTY: University Researcher Song Guo Zheng Pleads Guilty to Lying on Grant Applications to Develop Scientific Expertise for China; Sentenced to Prison, Ordered to Pay Back $3.4 Million to the U.S. Taxpayers

Zheng Sentenced to Prison for Lying on Grant Applications to Develop Scientific Expertise for China; Ordered to Pay Back $3.4 Million to the U.S. Taxpayers

WASHINGTON – An Ohio man and rheumatology professor and researcher with strong ties to China was sentenced to 37 months in prison for making false statements to federal authorities as part of an immunology research fraud scheme. As part of his sentence, Zheng was also ordered to pay more than $3.4 million in restitution to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and approximately $413,000 to The Ohio State University.

Song Guo Zheng, 58, of Hilliard, was arrested Friday, May 22, 2020, after he arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, aboard a charter flight and as he prepared to board another charter flight in order to flee to China. He was carrying three large bags, one small suitcase and a briefcase containing two laptops, three cell phones, several USB drives, several silver bars, expired Chinese passports for his family, deeds for property in China and other items. He was transported to the Southern District of Ohio and made his first federal court appearance in Columbus last July.

Zheng pleaded guilty last November and admitted he lied on applications in order to use approximately $4.1 million in grants from NIH to develop China’s expertise in the areas of rheumatology and immunology.

“In yet another case involving the Chinese government’s Thousand Talents program, Song Guo Zheng will spend the next 37 months in a federal prison because he chose to lie and hide his involvement in this program from U.S. research funding agencies,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “American research funding is provided by the American taxpayer for the benefit of American society — not as an illicit gift to the Chinese government. The American people deserve total transparency when federal dollars are being provided for research, and we will continue to hold accountable those who choose to lie about their foreign government affiliations in an attempt to fraudulently gain access to these funds.”

“For years the defendant concealed his participation in Chinese government talent recruitment programs, hiding his affiliations with at least five research institutions in China,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Zheng greedily took federal research dollars and prevented others from receiving funding for critical research in support of medical advances. The FBI will continue to pursue people wherever they may be, even on a plane, in Alaska, in the middle of the night.”

“We hope Zheng’s prison sentence deters others from having anything to do with China’s so-called ‘1000 Talents Plan’ or any of its variations,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Vipal J. Patel for the Southern District of Ohio. “Stealing is stealing but stealing at the behest of a foreign government’s concerted effort to pilfer our nation’s innovations and technology takes things to a new and significantly worse level.”

“Zheng’s sentencing today is a recognition of the constant threat posed by the Chinese government to steal research funded by American taxpayers,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman for the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office. “Zheng’s failure to disclose his foreign funding and support damages the trust and undermines the credibility the American people place in U.S. research, while abusing the openness and transparency that is a core value of U.S. academia. This sentence should serve as a deterrent and underscores the FBI’s commitment to work with our partners to investigate individual’s whose actions throw a cloud over the cutting-edge work being done at U.S. universities.”

“Reporting potential conflicts of interest when seeking grant funding from the National Institutes of Health is imperative in ensuring the public’s trust in the research being conducted and how it is utilized,” said Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, Chicago Region. “Making false statements to conceal potential conflicts violates that trust and the law. The OIG is committed to identifying and investigating instances where individuals intentionally fail to report or falsify information regarding their sources of research support in order to ensure the proper use of taxpayer dollars.”

According to court documents, Zheng was a professor of internal medicine who led a team conducting autoimmune research at The Ohio State University and Pennsylvania State University. According to his plea, Zheng caused materially false and misleading statements on NIH grant applications, seeking to hide his participation in Chinese Talent Plans and his affiliation and collaboration with a Chinese university controlled by the Chinese government.

According to court documents, since 2013, Zheng had been participating in a Chinese Talent Plan, a program established by the Chinese government to recruit individuals with knowledge or access to foreign technology intellectual property. Since that time, Zheng used research conducted in the United States to benefit the People’s Republic of China. Zheng failed to disclose conflicts of interest or his foreign commitments to his American employers or to the NIH.

SPY PLEADS GUILTY: University Researcher Song Guo Zheng Pleads Guilty to Lying on Grant Applications to Develop Scientific Expertise for China

A rheumatology professor and researcher with strong ties to China pleaded guilty to making false statements to federal authorities as part of an immunology research fraud scheme.

Song Guo Zheng, 58, of Hilliard, appeared in federal court on November 12, 2020, at which time his guilty plea was accepted by Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.

When he was arrested, he was carrying three large bags,

* one small suitcase and a briefcase containing two laptops,

* three cell phones,

* several USB drives,

* several silver bars,

* expired Chinese passports for his family,

* deeds for property in China and other items.

THE CHESAPEAKE TODAY – ALL CRIME ALL THE TIME – Copyright 2020

“Federal research funding is provided by the American tax payers for the benefit of American society — not as a subsidy for the Chinese Government,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers.  “The American people deserve total transparency when federal dollars are being provided for research, and we will continue to hold accountable those who choose to lie about their foreign government affiliations in an attempt to fraudulently gain access to these funds.”

“The FBI and its partners are a unified front in protecting taxpayer-funded research, so there is no escape for those who break America’s laws. Whether it’s a midnight flight through Alaska or hiding in plain sight, we will find you and bring you to justice,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler, Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division.

“Zheng promised China he would enhance the country’s biomedical research. He was preparing to flee the United States after he learned that his American employer had begun an administrative process into whether or not he was complying with American taxpayer-funded grant rules,”

said David M. DeVillers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio

“Zheng promised China he would enhance the country’s biomedical research. He was preparing to flee the United States after he learned that his American employer had begun an administrative process into whether or not he was complying with American taxpayer-funded grant rules,” said David M. DeVillers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “Today’s plea reinforces our proven commitment to protect our country’s position as a global leader in research and innovation, and to punish those who try to exploit and undermine that position.” 

“The FBI and our law enforcement partners continue to engage with universities to protect sensitive research from being illegally transferred to foreign governments,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman. “Today’s plea represents an acknowledgment by Zheng not only of his violation of the trust given to him by the U.S. Government in the form of federal grant funds but also of norms for research integrity and an abuse of the openness and transparency in the U.S. academic system.”

“The purpose of reporting potential conflicts of interest is to protect the integrity of professional judgement and ensure the public’s trust in the research being conducted,” said Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General – Chicago Region. “This defendant violated that trust by failing to report his financial interests and affiliations with foreign parties in an effort to improperly obtain research grant funding through the National Institutes of Health. The OIG is committed to identifying and investigating instances where individuals intentionally fail to report or falsify information regarding their sources of research support in order to ensure the proper use of taxpayer dollars.”

As part of his plea, Zheng admitted he lied on applications in order to use approximately $4.1 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop China’s expertise in the areas of rheumatology and immunology.

Zheng was a professor of internal medicine who led a team conducting autoimmune research at The Ohio State University and Pennsylvania State University. According to his plea, Zheng caused materially false and misleading statements on NIH grant applications, seeking to hide his participation in Chinese Talent Plans and his affiliation and collaboration with a Chinese university controlled by the Chinese government. Making false statements to the federal government is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.

Zheng was arrested Friday, May 22, 2020, after he arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, aboard a charter flight and as he prepared to board another charter flight to China. When he was arrested, he was carrying three large bags, one small suitcase and a briefcase containing two laptops, three cell phones, several USB drives, several silver bars, expired Chinese passports for his family, deeds for property in China and other items.

He was transported to the Southern District of Ohio and made his first federal court appearance in Columbus on July 7, 2020.

According to court documents, since 2013, Zheng had been participating in a Chinese Talent Plan, a program established by the Chinese government to recruit individuals with knowledge or access to foreign technology intellectual property. Since that time, Zheng used research conducted in the United States to benefit the People’s Republic of China. Zheng failed to disclose conflicts of interest or his foreign commitments to his American employers or to the NIH.

This case was investigated by the FBI and Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas W. Squires and S. Courter Shimeall, Special Assistant United States Attorney Christopher N. St. Pierre, and Trial Attorney Matthew J. McKenzie with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are representing the United States in this case.

  • http://allpawnandguns.com/
  • buzzsmarina.com
  • LINDAS NEW LOCATION OPENS SUNDAY FEB 4th
  • SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS TIPS tctdinvestigations@yahoo.com
  • See website for special offers

  • This rioter is carrying a tool that Martin Luther King Jr. never brought to a peaceful protest when he insisted that All lives matter.
  • This newly minted rioter must have borrowed this kitchen smock from his grandma so he wouldn't get his new tee shirt messed up in the June 22, 2020 riot in Lafayette Park.
  • Careful to wear a mask and not upset the sensibilities of the goofy DC Mayor, this cat is ready to rumble at the riot on June 22, 2020.
  • The Mod Squad meets the Riot Squad on June 22, 2020 in Washington, D.C. as looters attempted to destroy the Andrew Jackson monument in Lafayette Park.
  • Giving Old Hickory the heave ho with this steel bar was this bozo's idea of peaceful protesting at the June 22, 2020 riot in Lafayette Park in DC.
  • Just getting a workout to shed a few Wuhan Virus pounds by rioting in Lafayette Park and destroying government property paid for by taxpayers on June 22, 2020
  • Looter brought along his water-pistol goggles to keep out the pepper spray as he destroyed public property during rioting at Lafayette Square on June 22, 2020 in Washington DC.
  • Connor Matthew Judd a GW student was arrested and his mommy flew in from California where she told the court he was a nice boy. Judd was released on personal recognizance.
  • This vandal brought his backpack in case he got the munchies during a tough shift in the riot zone at Lafayette Park on June 22, 2020
  • A frustrated wanna-be steel worker or just another government employee with good paychecks and time to riot in LaFayette Square on June 22, 2020
  • BAD, BAD LEROY BROWN - he was the baddest guy in the mean old town, meaner than the junkyard dog at Lafayette Square in Washington on June 22, 2020
  • WHO is this violent criminal that was destroying your property paid for by tax dollars in Lafayette Park on June 22, 2020
  • Wanted for vandalism by the United States Park Police for defacing statute of President Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square in Washington DC on June 22, 2020 (Nice Watch)
  • Bull Shark from Potomac in 2010 Buzzs Marina
  • Bullshark Buzz's Marina
  • Mike Henderson at Buzzs Marina
  • Buzz's Marina fish tales
  • A Good Day at Buzz's Marina
  • Jacob and Nate from Buzz's Marina with their catch
  • Red fish from Buzz's Marina
  • Howard Bernstein with a nice croaker via Buzz's Marina
  • Family fishing at Buzz's Marina
  • Buzz's Marina records another great catch.
  • Buzz's Marina featured the huge cobia of Kyle Johnson on July 15, 2017
  • Buzz's Marina notes the July 10, 2017 catch of Tim and Mike Rice.
  • Buzz's Marina says that Ken, Jen, Pete and Jen got these beautiful blues out on the Dream Maker with Capt. Mike on July 16, 2017
  • Buzz's Marina with a plank full of fish caught by Sean Stack.
  • Buzz's Marina displays the great catch of the day of Travis
  • Buzz's Marina displays the proud catch of Teagan and Randy on July 10, 2017
  • Buzz's Marina featured Susan and Dave's catch on July 10, 2017
  • Buzz's Marina reports R. J. Henderson playing with the Cobias on the Stephen's Brothers boat on July 9, 2017.
  • Buzz's Marina featured the Charlie Steward Crab Boil on July 8, 2017
  • Buzz's Marina says Dave got this pretty Cobia fishing with Guy Stephens on July 7, 2017
  • Buzz's Marina noted that Laurie and Danny were taking advantage of the beach on the Fourth of July.
  • Buzz's Marina says Ida Mae's crew under Capt. Charlie Stewart got a three man limit of blues in 52 minutes on July 4, 2017.
  • Buzz's Marina reports Matt Robinson found plenty of whiting in the Mud Leeds on July 4, 2017.
  • Buzz's Marina heavy blues on July 19, 2017
  • After slaying the cobia they switched gears and jigged up these tackle busters! The seven pounder they got on a spinning rod. Capt Mike, Kenny and Tommy. Sept. 25, 2019 Buzz's Marina
  • Jonathan and Matthew jigging off of David's boat. Pretty obvious where they were. Buzz's Marina Sept. 2019
  • Michael got this Snakehead from the dock. Buzz's Marina
  • Doctor's Orders Charter today. Aug. 31, 2019 Buzz's Marina
  • Nice haul Doctor's Orders! Aug. 30, 2019 Buzz's Marina
  • Aug. 30, 2019 A great day on the Bay. Buzz's Marina
  • Aug. 30, 2019 Buzz's Marina
  • Johnny fished with Kyle Johnson. That's at least a 26 inch mackerel. Aug. 30, 2019 Buzz's Marina
  • LP got a nice snakehead on a beetle spin. Good eats! Aug. 26, 2019 Buzz's Marina
  • Jim, Keith and Jeff got theirs! Aug. 24, 2019 Buzz's Marina
  • Nick and Timmy really found some beauties! Aug. 23, 2019 Buzz's Marina
  • buzzsmarina.com
  • Jay Fleming got a beautiful cobia today. Good to see you back to your old haunt Jay! Buzz's Marina 2019
  • Rough as heck but the fishing was great! Sept. 10, 2019 Buzz's Marina, Ridge Md.
  • Timmy's catch from yesterday. Nice! Buzz's Marina Sept. 26, 2019

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Exit mobile version