One of six Chinese nationals accused of traveling across the Midwest to steal trade secrets from U.S. seed manufacturers entered not-guilty pleas Monday in federal court in Des Moines, and a trial date was set for March 31, David Pitt reports for
The Associated Press. Four of the other five are in China, which doesn't share an extradition agreement with the United States, and the fifth is in Canada. U.S. Attorney Nicholas Klinefeldt told Pitt that "all avenues are being considered to find and arrest" him.
|
Zhang Weiqiang |
In a separate case, two Chinese scientists were indicted Dec. 20 in Kansas City "on federal charges accusing them of stealing seeds developed by
a U.S. bioscience company and giving the seeds to members of a visiting
delegation from China," AP
reports. "A federal grand jury in Kansas indicted Weiqiang Zhang, an agricultural
seed breeder at
Ventria Bioscience's facility in Junction City, and Yan Wengui, a
U.S. Department of Agriculture research geneticist in
Arkansas, on one count each of conspiracy to steal trade secrets and
theft of trade secrets."
|
Yan Wengui |
"Zhang allegedly took seeds that his employer had grown and kept them at
his home in Kansas," AP
reports. "After a Chinese delegation visited the U.S., customs
agents searched its luggage and found stolen seeds in envelopes and also
in makeshift containers, including a newspaper page that had been
folded in the shape of an envelope, according to court documents. If convicted, Zhang and Yan could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000."
In the other case, "Prosecutors allege in court documents that the men were hiding the seed
in a storage unit near Des Moines and eventually taking it to a farm
near Monee, Ill., which the FBI said had been purchased by
Kings Nower
Seed in March 2012," Pitt writes. Kings Nower is a subsidiary of Beijing-based
conglomerate
DBN Group. One of the accused is the CEO of Kings Nower Seed. "Court documents filed Jan. 8 also show the government is attempting to
seize the 40-acre Illinois farm that appears to have served as a Midwest
base of operation for the Chinese men. It is about 40 miles south of
Chicago." (
Read more)
Indictments were announced on Dec. 19, with the six men "accused of traveling across the Midwest to steal
millions of dollars in seed technology trade secrets for use at their
China-based seed company," Emily Schettler reports for the
Des Moines Register. "The men are accused of trying to steal a parent line of corn seed from
Dupont Pioneer,
Monsanto and
LG Seeds and covertly transferring it to
China. Federal prosecutors estimate its value at five to eight years of
research worth at least $30 million to $40 million." (
Read more)
No comments:
Post a Comment