Photo credit: www.yahoo.com
Participant in University of Florida Smuggling Operation Sentenced
TAMPA – A federal court recently sentenced Jonathan Rok Thyng, aged 48, to five years of probation for his role in a scheme that illegally diverted millions of dollars in biomedical drugs, toxins, and research supplies from the University of Florida to China over a period of seven years.
During the proceedings, the prosecutor indicated that other individuals, including a research staff member at UF, may also be facing criminal charges related to the operation. There is also a possibility that someone located overseas could be implicated.
Thyng pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in July, a charge that could have led to a five-year prison sentence. However, U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber opted for probation and mandated 100 hours of community service, partially due to Thyng’s willingness to cooperate with the investigation.
In a letter addressed to the judge, Thyng expressed remorse for his actions, acknowledging the harm caused by his conduct and the breach of public trust it represented. He noted his previous experience as an intelligence operations analyst in the U.S. Air Force.
Higher education: Here are the names of those tasked with finding the University of Florida’s next president.
The smuggling operation, which spanned from July 2016 to May 2023, was described by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Marcet as a financially motivated conspiracy with no national security implications. Judge Barber highlighted that if national security had been compromised, the sentence would likely have been much harsher.
Court records indicate that the UF employee worked with students to place orders for biomedical substances from MilliporeSigma, a major pharmaceutical company. The conspirators leveraged their affiliation with UF to procure small quantities of highly purified research chemicals, which were then clandestinely shipped to China under false pretenses as “diluting agents.”
Legally, these substances are prohibited from being exported to China.
Prosecutors stated that UF students were recruited for the scheme in late 2022 when changes to company policies mandated the use of University email addresses for orders. Among those identified was Nongnong “Leticia” Zheng, the president of UF’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association. Zheng, who confirmed she was under investigation, has not yet been charged but has faced consequences, including a ban from campus.
Thyng admitted to ordering and shipping biomedical items, claiming his involvement stemmed from a favor to the primary organizer, Pen “Ben” Yu. During his two years in the scheme, Thyng reportedly earned between $3,000 to $5,000, which he downplayed as relatively insignificant compared to his earnings from other jobs.
“This was a very significant criminal conspiracy with some very high-level players,” Marcet asserted during the sentencing.
Earlier in August, Judge William F. Jung handed Yu a nearly four-year prison term, followed by three years of supervised release, along with a financial penalty of $100,000. Initially facing up to 20 years, Yu’s case highlights the seriousness with which the courts are treating this matter.
During the hearing, prosecutors hinted that other co-conspirators would likely face new criminal charges soon. Investigations are ongoing, with a focus on both an international target and an undisclosed individual linked to the university’s stockroom.
The substances shipped to China included highly regulated drugs such as fentanyl, morphine, and amphetamines, which can be used for calibration in research. Additionally, some shipments contained purified proteins linked to cholera and pertussis toxins.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Participant in University of Florida-China smuggling plot sentenced
Source
www.yahoo.com