Authorities are looking into a biological lab with suspected connections to China that was found in a Las Vegas home.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reported that SWAT team members executed a search warrant on Saturday, prompted by information about the lab operating within the residence.
During a press briefing on Monday, LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill stated that over 1,000 items deemed “potentially biologically hazardous” were primarily found in a locked garage. Fortunately, officials noted there was no immediate threat to public safety.
The home’s property manager, 55-year-old Oli Solomon, was arrested on Saturday for allegedly disposing of and discharging hazardous waste and is currently being held at the Clark County Jail.
In their operation, police implemented several safety measures. They utilized robots to sanitize the space, collect air samples, and dispatched hazardous materials teams to safely transport various items.
Investigators discovered multiple refrigerators filled with vials of unknown liquids, large containers of a similar substance, a centrifuge, and additional lab equipment in the garage. Some of the items included biological materials and fluids, which were carefully sent to an FBI lab for analysis.
The homeowner, identified as Jia Bei Zhu, is already in federal custody following the discovery of an unlicensed biolab in Reedley, California, last year. Zhu faces federal charges related to manufacturing and distributing counterfeit medical devices, including unauthorized tests for COVID-19, pregnancy, and HIV. His trial is scheduled for April.
Meanwhile, Zhu’s attorney, Anthony Capozzi, asserted that his client is not associated with the Las Vegas investigation, stating, “He is not involved in any type of biolab that is being conducted at his home in Las Vegas.” Capozzi added, “We don’t know what happened in that mansion.”
This latest incident adds to concerns about Zhu, a national of China, who is reportedly linked to a broader scheme involving the theft of U.S. intellectual property. Reedley’s secret laboratory was discovered after local officials noticed peculiar activity at a warehouse owned by Zhu’s company, Universal Meditech.
Reedley officials initially flagged the situation in December 2022 when code enforcement officers observed a garden hose protruding from the warehouse. Following further inspection, extensive lab equipment and medical freezers were uncovered, alongside around 1,000 transgenic mice allegedly used for disease research.
The investigation in Las Vegas is still ongoing, with the FBI assisting. Authorities have yet to release further information regarding the materials recovered or the possibility of additional arrests.
