"Black Eye" for The Department of Justice
On September 23, 2020, the Wall Street Journal reported that an economic espionage case against a visiting scientist from China at the University of Virginia was dismissed because it was found that he had permission to access some of the files that he was accused of stealing.
According to the article, “[t]he development is a black eye for the Justice Department in its recent series of cases against Chinese military linked researchers studying in the U.S.”
Haizhou Hu, who works for military-funded lab at Beihang University in Beijing, was arrested on allegations of stealing trade serets from his professor on August 28, 2020.
Prosecutors abruptly moved to drop all criminal charges against Haizhou Hu after the university acknowledged the scientist was authorized to access some of the material. The court granted the dismissal on September 21, 2020.
Hu’s lawyer had argued that “[e]very file that was on [Hu’s] computer he was authorized to possess, as he used his login credentials provided by the University of Virginia.”
According to the article, “[t]he development is a black eye for the Justice Department in its recent series of cases against Chinese military linked researchers studying in the U.S.”
Haizhou Hu, who works for military-funded lab at Beihang University in Beijing, was arrested on allegations of stealing trade serets from his professor on August 28, 2020.
Prosecutors abruptly moved to drop all criminal charges against Haizhou Hu after the university acknowledged the scientist was authorized to access some of the material. The court granted the dismissal on September 21, 2020.
Hu’s lawyer had argued that “[e]very file that was on [Hu’s] computer he was authorized to possess, as he used his login credentials provided by the University of Virginia.”
Additional Links and References
CourtListener: United States v. Hu (3:20-mj-00036), District Court, W.D. Virginia
2020/09/23 Wall Street Journal: U.S. Drops Case Against Chinese Scientist at UVA
The Hill: Prosecutors drop charges against visiting Chinese scientist at University of Virginia
2020/08/28 Department of Justice: University of Virginia Researcher Charged with Theft of Trade Secrets and Computer Intrusion
2020/09/23 Wall Street Journal: U.S. Drops Case Against Chinese Scientist at UVA
The Hill: Prosecutors drop charges against visiting Chinese scientist at University of Virginia
2020/08/28 Department of Justice: University of Virginia Researcher Charged with Theft of Trade Secrets and Computer Intrusion