Legal Docket by CourtListener: United States v. Cheng (4:20-cr-00455)
On August 24, 2020, the Justice Department charged Texas A&M University professor and NASA researcher Zhengdong Cheng (成正东) with lying about his affiliations with Chinese universities, institutions and a government program that recruits foreign nationals with knowledge of U.S. technology and intellectual property. His case is listed as one of the "China Initiative" cases.
The charges against Professor Cheng do not involve economic espionage or trade secret theft. He has been denied bail since his arrest in August 2020. According to a media report, “The judge and prosecution denied all eight of Chen's bail sponsors who are willing to vouch for Chen because they are, like Chen, Chinese Americans.”
His defense attorney stated in a 2021/02/23 motion that Professor Cheng has tested positive with COVID-19 while in custody.
Links and References
2021/02/23 United States v. Cheng (4:20-cr-00455): Motion For Revocation Of Detention Order
2021/02/16 Tennessean opinion: Accused Chinese academics in Tennessee and elsewhere should not be unfairly punished
2021/01/27 成正东援助小组: 关于成正东教授一案的几点说明
2020/08/25 UPI: Texas A&M professor, NASA researcher charged with hiding ties to China
2020/08/04 DOJ: NASA Researcher Arrested for False Statements and Wire Fraud in Relation to China’s Talents Program
The charges against Professor Cheng do not involve economic espionage or trade secret theft. He has been denied bail since his arrest in August 2020. According to a media report, “The judge and prosecution denied all eight of Chen's bail sponsors who are willing to vouch for Chen because they are, like Chen, Chinese Americans.”
His defense attorney stated in a 2021/02/23 motion that Professor Cheng has tested positive with COVID-19 while in custody.
Links and References
2021/02/23 United States v. Cheng (4:20-cr-00455): Motion For Revocation Of Detention Order
2021/02/16 Tennessean opinion: Accused Chinese academics in Tennessee and elsewhere should not be unfairly punished
2021/01/27 成正东援助小组: 关于成正东教授一案的几点说明
2020/08/25 UPI: Texas A&M professor, NASA researcher charged with hiding ties to China
2020/08/04 DOJ: NASA Researcher Arrested for False Statements and Wire Fraud in Relation to China’s Talents Program