US prosecutors have indicted a University of Kansas professor on charges that he failed to disclose a contract with a Chinese university while doing US government-funded research.
Franklin Tao, 47, was charged with four counts of fraud by the Department of Justice on Wednesday. A justice department spokesman said Mr Tao was in custody.
The case highlights the heightened scrutiny of academics in an ongoing US crackdown on what it claims are Chinese efforts to use American knowledge to boost China’s economy.
“Any potential conflicts of commitment by a researcher must be disclosed as required by law and university policies. The Department will continue to pursue any unlawful failure to do so,” said John Demers, chief of the DoJ’s national security division, in a statement.
Mr Tao could not be immediately reached for comment. The court docket showed no current attorney for him.