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yesterday

Judge Sentences Chinese Researcher to Time Served in Michigan Bio-Shipments Case

The judge said the lab materials at issue did not pose a threat to the public.

Sara Garber, attorney for Chengxuan Han, one of two Chinese scientists accused of smuggling or shipping biological material to the United States, leaves after a sentencing hearing at the U.S. District Court, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Sara Garber, attorney for Chengxuan Han, one of two Chinese scientists accused of smuggling or shipping biological material to the United States, speaks after a sentencing hearing at the U.S. District Court, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Sara Garber, attorney for Chengxuan Han, one of two Chinese scientists accused of smuggling or shipping biological material to the United States, speaks after a sentencing hearing at the U.S. District Court, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Sara Garber, attorney for Chengxuan Han, one of two Chinese scientists accused of smuggling or shipping biological material to the United States, speaks after a sentencing hearing at the U.S. District Court, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Overview

  • Chengxuan Han was sentenced on Sept. 10 to time served of three months, and the judge rejected prosecutors’ request to keep her jailed longer.
  • Authorities say she mailed concealed biological materials in 2024–2025 to people tied to a University of Michigan lab, including plasmids on filter paper and petri dishes containing C. elegans, without proper labeling or approvals.
  • Customs officers detained her at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 8, reporting false statements and a recently wiped device, and she later admitted the shipments during an FBI and HSI interview.
  • Officials said she will be removed from the United States and barred from reentry, while her attorneys expect her to return to China within days.
  • Federal agencies emphasized enforcement against illegal biological imports, and the case was publicized with charged language as other Michigan prosecutions involving Chinese researchers proceed.