A former Chinese biology researcher at Indiana University Bloomington has been sentenced for smuggling DNA samples of E. coli bacteria into the United States from China, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana announced on April 10.
Xiang Youhuang, 32, who was in the United States on a J-1 nonimmigrant visa from China, was indicted in December 2025. On April 7, he was sentenced to time served, or more than four months, a $500 fine, and one year of supervised release, after pleading guilty to one count of smuggling and accepting a judicial order of removal to China.
During the sentencing hearing at the federal district court in Indianapolis on April 7, prosecutors presented evidence that Xiang was a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and lied about his affiliation with the CCP when questioned by immigration officials….
Chinese Researcher Sentenced for Smuggling E. Coli From China to US
