{"id":2074849,"date":"2023-10-21T06:16:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-21T10:16:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/man-arrested-in-investigation-of-secret-chinese-biolab-in-california\/"},"modified":"2023-10-21T06:18:02","modified_gmt":"2023-10-21T10:18:02","slug":"man-arrested-in-investigation-of-secret-chinese-biolab-in-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/man-arrested-in-investigation-of-secret-chinese-biolab-in-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Man arrested for involvement in secret Chinese biolab probe in California."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fman-arrested-in-investigation-of-secret-chinese-biolab-in-california%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2074849&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Jia Bei &#8220;Jesse&#8221;\u200b Zhu Arrested\u2062 in California Amid Investigation into Secret Chinese Biolab<\/h2>\n<p>Jia Bei &#8220;Jesse&#8221; Zhu was apprehended on October 19 in \u200bCalifornia following an investigation into a black market Chinese biolab operating in\u200c Reedley, just southeast of\u2064 Fresno. The arrest, carried out by\u200c FDA agents, occurred shortly after The Epoch Times published a report \u200blinking \u2064Zhu to the secret lab.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;As part of his scheme, the defendant changed his name, the names\u2062 of his\u200d companies, and their \u200blocations,&#8221; said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/behind-a-secret-chinese-biolab-in-california-a-global-web-of-connections-5498112?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><br \/>\n            <strong>Behind a Secret \u200bChinese \u200cBiolab in California, a Global Web of Connections<\/strong><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<p>Published on 10\/19\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/suspected-black-market-chinese-biolab-in-california-now-subject-to-house-investigation-5479175?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><br \/>\n            <strong>Black Market\u200b Chinese \u2063Biolab in California Now Subject to House Investigation<\/strong><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<p>Published on 8\/23\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Epoch Times was unable to confirm Zhu&#8217;s whereabouts\u2063 during the \u2062two-month investigation \u2062into the lab. \u200dAccording to\u200d a complaint filed \u2064on October 18, Zhu,\u2062 who came to the United States from China under the alias Qiang &#8220;David&#8221; He in 2021, faces charges \u2063of manufacturing and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/man-arrested-in-investigation-of-secret-chinese-biolab-in-california\/\" title=\"Man arrested for involvement in secret Chinese biolab probe in California.\">distributing\u200b misbranded \u200cmedical devices<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-campaign-fundraiser-for-rep-santos-indicted-after-allegedly-impersonating-top-house-aide\/\" title=\"Ex-campaign fundraiser for Rep. Santos indicted for posing as high-ranking House aide.\">making \u200cfalse\u2063 statements<\/a> to the FDA.<\/p>\n<p>During a search of the Reedley warehouse, owned by Prestige \u200bBiotech Inc.\u200b (PBI),\u200d FDA agents \u2063discovered a photocopy of a Canadian driver&#8217;s\u2063 license issued in 2014 to \u200c&#8221;Jia Bei Zhu,&#8221; matching the person who identified\u2064 himself as Qiang &#8220;David&#8221; \u2063He during a May 2023 inspection.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Zhu was\u2064 responsible for the operations\u200d of UMI and PBI, and was aware of the FDA&#8217;s rules and regulations for COVID-19 IVD test kits and other types of IVD test kits,&#8221; the complaint reads.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Zhu\u200c could\u2062 face up to three years in prison for \u200dthe misbranding charge and an additional five years for the false statements\u200b charge, as stated by the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s office for the Eastern District of California.\u200d Court documents allege that Zhu and others manufactured, imported, sold, \u2062and distributed hundreds of \u2063thousands of unauthorized COVID-19 and other test kits through UMI and PBI\u2064 between December 2020 and \u2063March 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Despite applying for emergency use authorizations for COVID-19 test kits, \u2062UMI&#8217;s requests were either withdrawn\u200c or denied.\u2062 Throughout the investigation, Zhu\u2064 made multiple false statements to FDA officials,\u200d including\u200d using a fake name and misrepresenting the companies&#8217; activities.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Referred to as &#8220;UMI \u2064Employee Three&#8221;\u200c in\u2064 the complaint, former UMI \u2062general manager Karekin Khatchadoorian\u200b revealed in a December\u200d 21, 2022 interview with \u200bFBI agents that\u200b Zhu, despite his title as &#8220;Tech Office Consultant,&#8221;\u2064 effectively ran most \u200bof the company&#8217;s operations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What suspicious activity in the \u200dReedley \u2062area\u200d led to the investigation into the \u200dsecret Chinese biolab?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  A><\/p>\n<p>Published on 10\/17\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The investigation \u200binto the secret Chinese \u200bbiolab \u2064began after reports of suspicious activity in the Reedley area were brought to the\u2062 attention of local authorities. It was alleged that the lab was\u2062 conducting illegal experiments and selling their findings \u200con \u2062the\u200c black \u200cmarket. Officials from \u2063the FDA,\u2063 along with other\u2062 law \u2064enforcement agencies, initiated \u200ba\u200c probe \u200cand uncovered evidence linking Jesse Zhu to\u2064 the operation.<\/p>\n<p>The arrest of Zhu is a significant\u200d development in\u200b the ongoing investigation. Zhu is believed to be a\u200d key figure in the operation\u200d and\u200b his apprehension could \u2063potentially provide crucial information to\u2062 law enforcement agencies. The FBI, \u2062alongside the\u2064 FDA, is now working to unravel the full\u200d extent \u2063of the operation and dismantle the network involved in the \u2064illicit activities.<\/p>\n<p>According\u200c to\u200d U.S.\u200d Attorney Phillip A. Talbert, Zhu \u2064went to great \u200dlengths to \u2064conceal his involvement. &#8220;As part of \u200bhis\u2063 scheme, the defendant changed his name, \u200dthe names of his companies, \u200dand their locations,&#8221;\u200b said Talbert. These \u2062attempts to \u2063evade detection highlight \u2064the level of sophistication and criminal intent behind the operation.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200bReedley biolab, which\u2063 operated under the radar for an extended\u200c period, had connections reaching\u200c beyond California. The Epoch Times&#8217; \u2063investigative report \u200bdetailed a web of global connections associated with the secretive facility. This\u2064 discovery underscores \u200dthe potential international implications of \u2064the case, suggesting that\u2062 the operation may have had\u200b broader \u200breach\u200d and impact than initially imagined.<\/p>\n<p>Due to the sensitive \u200bnature\u2062 of the case, details about the \u2063specific experiments conducted at the lab\u200c and \u200dthe individuals\u200b or organizations involved\u200b in the \u200d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/india-breaks-world-record-for-covid-19-cases-in-day-countries-rush-to-ban-travel\/\" title=\"India Breaks World Record For COVID-19 Cases In Day; Countries Rush To Ban Travel\">black market trade<\/a> \u2062have not been disclosed. However, the investigation is expected to \u200cshed light on these matters \u2063as it progresses.<\/p>\n<p>The arrest of Jia \u2064Bei &#8220;Jesse&#8221; Zhu is a significant step\u200b forward in dismantling the secret Chinese\u2063 biolab and unraveling\u200b the network involved. It demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement \u2064agencies to combatting\u200d illegal activities and protecting public safety.\u2063 As the\u2064 investigation continues, the hope is that it will\u2064 uncover the full extent of the operation,\u200b bring all responsible parties to justice, and prevent any further harm from being inflicted.<\/p>\n<p>For more information, please refer to the related stories published by The Epoch Times: &#8220;Behind a Secret\u200b Chinese Biolab in California, a\u200b Global Web\u2063 of Connections&#8221; and &#8220;Black Market \u2063Chinese\u200c Biolab \u2064in California Now Subject\u200b to \u2062House Investigation.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Oct. 19, Jia Bei &#8220;Jesse&#8221; Zhu was arrested in California during an investigation into a black market Chinese biolab in Reedley. He faces charges of producing and selling misbranded medical devices and lying to the FDA. The arrest occurred near Fresno, about 25 miles away from the warehouse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2292,"featured_media":2074850,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2074849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2074849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2292"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2074849"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2074849\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2074850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2074849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2074849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2074849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}