West
Federal authorities file additional charges against Chinese-linked biolab in Central California
Federal authorities announced new charges against the operators of an illegal underground biolab found in a Central California community last fall.
Jia Bei Zhu, 62, a citizen of China, was previously indicted for distributing bogus and misbranded COVID-19 test kits in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. He was also charged with making false statements to authorities about his identity and involvement with the biolabs.
Additional charges have now been filed against Zhaoyan Wang, 38, also a citizen of China, who officials described as a “romantic and business partner.”
According to court documents, from August 2020 through March 2023, Zhu and Wang conspired to defraud buyers of UMI and PBI’s COVID-19 test kits. They imported hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 test kits from Ai De Ltd., which was a company in China that they controlled, and falsely represented to the buyers that the test kits were made in the United States.
‘DISTURBING’ CALIFORNIA BIOLAB SHROUDED IN MYSTERY AS CHINA LINKS EMERGE
Additional charges have been filed against Jia Bei Zhu, 62, the operator of the Reedley Bio-Lab and his partner according to the United States Department of Justice. (KMPH)
Authorities said they illegally imported the COVID-19 test kits, which they were not approved to import, by falsely declaring them as pregnancy test kits, which they were approved to import.
Joe Prado, assistant director for the Fresno County of Public Health, previously told FOX 26 that the lab was using mice “to see whether or not the COVID test kits were actually testing for COVID.”
Officials said Zhu and Wang also falsely represented to the buyers that UMI and PBI could make up to 100,000 COVID-19 test kits per week in the United States and that the test kits were made in connection with other labs that were certified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CLEANUP AT SUSPICIOUS CALIFORNIA BIOLAB WITH TIES TO CHINA CONTINUES
Equipment with Mandarin writing in a biolab located in Fresno, California (City of Reedley)
Lastly, officials said they falsely represented to the buyers that the test kits were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Zhu and Wang made over $1.7 million through their fraud.
When buyers requested to inspect the facilities in Fresno and Reedley, Zhu and Wang allegedly denied them access and made up reasons for the denial, including that the facilities were undergoing construction and renovation.
Upon inspection, health inspectors found nearly 1,000 lab mice, 200 of which were dead, inside the lab, according to FOX 26. Inspectors also found thousands of vials, some of which contained human blood and other substances.
ILLEGAL CHINESE-LINKED BIOLAB FILLED WITH MICE, MEDICAL WASTE DISCOVERED IN CALIFORNIA
An EPA-contracted hazmat crew member goes inside the Reedley, Calif., warehouse to remove 800 containers of chemicals from the underground biolab. (Lee Ross)
The lab was shut down in early July.
Zhu was not tied to or charged with the slew of biological agents that were found in a previously empty warehouse.
Zhu’s next court date is Sept. 11. Wang is currently not in custody, and it’s unknown if she is even still in the country.
If convicted, Zhu and Wang each face a maximum of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy and wire fraud charges and an additional three years in prison for the distribution of fake and misbranded medical device charges. Zhu also faces another five years in prison for the false statements charge.
Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
RAWLINS, Wyoming (KUTV) — A man wanted for alleged rape and domestic violence in Utah was arrested in Wyoming.
He is “behind bars thanks to the work of eagle-eyed troopers with the Wyoming Highway Patrol,” WHP said on social media.
Troopers were alerted to a Be On The Look Out (BOLO) call at approximately 7 a.m. on Thursday for a suspect in a white Chrysler Seabreeze.
MORE | Crime
Troopers in Rawlins, Wyoming, spotted the vehicle just after 8:30 a.m.
The suspect was arrested without incident and transported to the Carbon County Jail.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
_____
WOODINVILLE — For four straight years, at least parts of Washington have been in a drought, as snowpack has failed to meet historical norms amid climate change.
This year, all of Washington is experiencing drought, after a wet winter scuttled by warmer temperatures, according to state officials.
Washington state leaders are looking for ways to deal with the ongoing water challenges, which state Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller calls “our new normal.”
A new initiative, called Washington’s Water Future, will lead roundtable discussions across the state this summer, with recommendations delivered to Gov. Bob Ferguson before the 2027 legislative session begins in January. Local and tribal governments, utilities, industry leaders, environmental groups and community organizations will be at the table.
Officials announced the effort Wednesday at King County’s Brightwater Treatment Plant near Woodinville.
“It’s clear we need to take steps to protect our water supply,” Ferguson said in a pre-recorded video. “We need secure water supplies so we can grow our economy, support our agriculture industry, protect healthy fish runs and preserve tribal resources.”
Sixkiller said the work is about whether Washington will shape the future of water in the state, or just react to it.
“Washington is a water state,” Sixkiller said. “Water shapes our landscapes, our communities, our economy, and for many a way of life passed down through generations. We all know that where there’s water, there’s life, but these days, we don’t have to look very hard to see that our relationship with water is changing.”
Climate change is causing precipitation in the winter to fall more as rain than snow, with less stored naturally in the mountains for the summer, when farms and fish are competing for the dwindling resource. This system, dependent on snowpack, is becoming less reliable, Sixkiller said.
By 2080, the Puget Sound region is expected to get less than half of its normal snowpack, with wintertime stream flows increasing by half and a corresponding drop in the summertime, the agency director said.
“The cost of inaction is already showing up in drought emergencies, flood damage, stressed salmon runs and uncertainty for communities trying to plan their future,” Sixkiller said.
Last year, the Department of Ecology took the unprecedented step to curtail surface water usage in the Yakima River Basin, where the effects of drought are more severe. The move has drawn accusations of mismanagement against the state.
In an interview, Sixkiller said it’s too soon to say whether his agency will need to do the same this year, but noted the state declared a drought earlier than usual to give water managers in the area more time to prepare.
The statewide drought declaration last month unlocked $3 million in grants to respond to the effects.
The harms already
The Yakima-Tieton Irrigation District, which serves 28,000 acres, is bracing for its canal system to “blow out” after a wildfire burned it in 2024, and subsequent flooding and debris slides further damaged it, said Jon DeVaney, president of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association.
“This is a clear example of the need to, not only plan long term, but be prepared to see that hole that we’re already in get a little bit deeper,” DeVaney said.
The low flows and higher temperatures are treacherous for Washington’s salmon. And fish hatcheries are grappling with dwindling water. The Suquamish Tribe, for example, hasn’t been able to expand a hatchery because of the lack of water, Chairman Leonard Forsman said.
Forsman, also president of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, acknowledged the priorities when thinking about the future of water availability are “people and farms, and then fish habitat comes in later.”
“And we need to try to balance that,” he said.
Meanwhile, data centers the tech sector is building to support artificial intelligence and other technologies are also driving demand for water.
Some of the ideas
In responding to the state’s water needs, Sixkiller said “all solutions and all ideas are on the table.”
He was responding to a question about desalination, a process turning salt water into potable water that communities in more arid climates have turned to in addressing water shortages. Arizona, for one, is pursuing the idea. Sixkiller called the water scarcity in the American southwest a “very big red flag of what could happen here.”
The city of Lynden in Whatcom County has grown rapidly over the past 15 years, Mayor Scott Korthuis said. So the city, located along the Nooksack River, has had to find innovative approaches to securing water.
For one, the city now recycles discharged water from the local Darigold dairy plant into the river, as a source of drinking water.
The city is also working on an aquifer recharge project to take water from the river during high flows and store it underground until it’s needed later. Sixkiller cited this type of work as an idea to be explored in the Washington’s Water Future roundtable discussions.
“There are a range of untapped solutions from different areas, from different ways to store water and to recycling,” Korthuis said, noting financial, legal and regulatory obstacles.
Aging water infrastructure that will need to be replaced or upgraded provides an opportunity for innovative solutions, Sixkiller said.
King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci noted the new initiative’s acronym matches that of the World Wrestling Federation, saying there will be some “smackdowns” in these discussions. The tongue-in-cheek comment worried state Rep. Davina Duerr, D-Bothell.
“I’m afraid it’ll be a smackdown on the Legislature for funding, and whatever else,” she said.
Washington State Standard is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
-
Utah1 minute agoMan arrested in Wyoming wanted for rape, domestic violence in Utah
-
Vermont7 minutes ago
VT Lottery Gimme 5, Pick 3 results for May 7, 2026
-
Virginia13 minutes agoVirginia traveler returns from cruise hit by hantavirus outbreak
-
Washington19 minutes agoWashington looking for solutions to looming water challenges | Cascadia Daily News
-
Wisconsin25 minutes agoWisconsin universities and schools impacted by Canvas data breach
-
West Virginia31 minutes ago
West Virginia Lottery results: See winning numbers for Daily 3, Daily 4 on May 7, 2026
-
Wyoming37 minutes agoWyoming wildlife managers detect chronic wasting disease on Pinedale-area feedground
-
Crypto43 minutes agoState issues cease-and-desist to halt suspected crypto pyramid scheme in Hawaii