Deadline Detroit | Chinese Scholar at U-M Enters Plea To Smuggling Biological Materials Into U.S.

Chengxuan Han (Sanilac County Jail photo)

Chengxuan Han, a Chinese scholar who had been invited to conduct research at the University of Michigan Lab, entered a no-contest plea Tuesday in federal court to smuggling biological materials into the U.S. The U.S. requires permits to import such materials.

Han also pleaded no contest to a charge of making false statements to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. A no-contest plea means she accepts the conviction but does not plead or admit guilt.

“The guidelines for importing biological materials into the U.S. for research purposes are stringent but clear, and actions like this undermine the legitimate work of other visiting scholars,” Marty C. Raybon, division director of field operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Detro