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Chinese man arrested for using US funds to develop Chinese expertise

Chinese man arrested for using US funds to develop Chinese expertise

US China

A 57-year-old Chinese man has been arrested in the US for using using US funds to develop expertise for China inthe areas of rheumatology and immunology.

Song Guo Zheng was arrested while he was boarding a charter flight to China fromAnchorage, Alaska.

Zheng had three large bags, one small suitcase and briefcase with two laptops, three cellular telephones, several USB drives, several silver bars, expired Chinese passports for his family, deeds for property in China, among other items, the Justice Department said.

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"A rheumatology professor and researcher with strong ties to China has been ordered held without bond to face a charge of grant fraud for not disclosing that he was engaged in a sophisticated scheme 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," the release said on Thursday.

It has been alleged that Zheng had been suing the US funds since 2014, and had not established his strong ties with Beijing to his US employers.

He has been arrested on the count of fraud of receiving federal funds, and on the count of issuing and making false statements about his employment in China and lying to his US employers.

The investigation is ongoing, but if proven guilty Zheng could face 15 years behind bars.