Owner of Reedley Lab that Stored Deadly Viruses Convicted of $4M Fraudulent Sales
Jurors said Zhu sold more than 1.4 million faulty COVID-19 test kits and lied to regulators about his identity and the company’s role.
- On Tuesday, a federal jury convicted Jia Bei Zhu on 12 counts, including wire fraud and distributing misbranded medical devices, following his operation of an illegal biolab scheme in California.
- Between August 2020 and March 2023, Zhu sold more than 1.4 million faulty COVID-19 test kits for nearly $4 million through Universal Meditech Inc. and Prestige Biotech, falsely marketing them as FDA-authorized.
- Investigators discovered unsanitary conditions at the Reedley site, including pathogens stored in juice and soda containers, while court records revealed Zhu fled a $330 million intellectual property judgment in Canada.
- U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd scheduled sentencing for August 24, 2026, with Zhu facing up to 20 years in prison; his romantic partner Zhaoyan Wang remains a fugitive in China.
- Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba noted significant unanswered questions about pathogen acquisition, as Congressmen Jim Costa, David Valadao, and Kevin Kiley introduced legislation to strengthen oversight of high-contaminant laboratories.
18 Articles
18 Articles
NEWS HEADLINES: Chinese national found guilty after orchestrating fraud scheme, distributing over 1M non-compliant COVID-19 test kits – One America News Network
A photograph taken in London on August 18, 2020 shows the contents of a UK Government COVID-19 antigen home test kit. (Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP) (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images) OAN Staff Lillian Mann and Brooke Mallory7:34 PM – Wednesday, May 6, 2026 Following a two-week federal trial, a Chinese national was convicted for orchestrating a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme that distributed over one million non-compliant COVID-19 test …
Dark secrets of Fresno biolab revealed as Chinese national convicted in nationwide scheme
A 64-year-old Chinese national has been convicted by a federal jury of selling more than a million fraudulent COVID-19 tests nationwide out of a Fresno biolab during the pandemic.
Chinese National Tied to Suspected Las Vegas Biolab Found Guilty of COVID Test Fraud
A California jury found a Chinese national guilty on all counts on May 6 for selling more than 1 million faulty COVID-19 tests and obtaining nearly $4 million from customers across the United States. The verdict concluded a years-long investigation into Jia Bei Zhu’s scheme, which involved lying to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and importing faulty COVID-19 tests from China, the Department of Justice (DOJ) stated, but his alleged involv…
California businessman found guilty of selling faulty COVID tests, defrauding customers
Jia Bei Zhu, a Chinese national tied to a controversial underground biolab, was found guilty of orchestrating a multimillion-dollar COVID-19 test fraud scheme, prosecutors say.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 71% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
