Aili Wang, a microbiology graduate student from China, was arrested at LAX on charges of poisoning a colleague's tea with acrylamide and attempting to flee the country.
Aili Wang, a 32-year-old microbiology graduate student from China, was arrested on October 6 at Los Angeles International Airport. Prosecutors allege that Wang poisoned the tea of a colleague at the University of Wyoming and attempted to flee to China after being questioned by police.
According to a University of Wyoming campus police officer’s affidavit, Wang allegedly purchased acrylamide, a chemical used in microbiology research, via eBay twice last summer. The substance was first detected when the alleged victim’s wife and others tested water from the coffee maker the victim used to brew tea in their shared office in Laramie.
The investigation began after the victim, identified in court documents as “K.T.,” experienced symptoms including extreme tiredness, inability to sleep, finger tingling, and leg weakness. These symptoms began soon after the victim attended a conference in August. The victim’s wife and others allegedly isolated 63 milligrams of white powder from the coffee maker water, which tested positive for acrylamide.
Campus police and the victim set up surveillance cameras in the shared office space. The affidavit states that Wang was recorded on September 27 going through the victim’s desk. On October 1, she was recorded “taking photos and manipulating notebooks” on his desk and “rinsing out his mug with a liquid from her own mug.”
The alleged victim, described by his professor as a highly successful student from Vietnam, was working on federally funded, patent-pending research involving “new technology for cancer, neurological and genetic disease treatment.” Specifically, the victim had discovered how to deliver RNA to human cells using bacteria.
Mark Gomelsky, the microbiology professor overseeing both students, stated that Wang and the victim did not get along. Gomelsky told The Associated Press that Wang had failed her first attempt to defend her dissertation and became envious of her colleague’s success. The affidavit alleges that Wang “was reportedly working on similar research in China before coming to the U.S.”
Tak Sumaya, an assistant professor who helped identify the chemical, noted that acrylamide is “not something you would find in that kind of quantity anywhere.” Sumaya added that Wang took photos of every page of a notebook left on the victim’s desk, stating, “You wouldn’t do that with like your office or lab mate’s notebook unless there’s a really good reason, and there wasn’t.”
Wang was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport while in possession of “multiple laptops, multiple portable external digital storage devices, related accessories, physical records and written materials.” Prosecutors allege she sought to return to China. During an interview with campus police on October 5, Wang allegedly said she “had not used acrylamide in years.” Police also allege that Wang asked eBay to delete her account after purchasing the chemical.
Wang faces a felony aggravated assault and battery charge in Wyoming, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a US$10,000 fine. Albany County Circuit Court Judge Robert Sanford granted prosecutors’ request to raise Wang’s bond to US$1.5 million cash-only. As of Tuesday, Wang remained jailed without bail in Los Angeles, and it was not clear when she would be extradited to Wyoming.
The case highlights the severe health risks associated with acrylamide, which Gomelsky described as a neurotoxin that “cannot be neutralized so it stays in neurons and basically kills them.” The victim continues to experience symptoms, including an inability to focus, easy fatigue, and loss of sensation in his left hand. The incident also underscores ongoing concerns regarding intellectual property theft in academic settings, as U.S. officials have for years accused China of stealing intellectual property from American universities.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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