Former CDC Researcher in Custody After Long Flight from Justice
A former researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now in U.S. custody after dodging prosecutors for more than ten years. Paul Thorsen allegedly “absconded” with over $1 million in federal grants.
U.S. Air Force Marshals transported Thorsen from Germany to Atlanta on Thursday, bringing to an end his 15-year run as a fugitive since the initial charges were filed. Back in 2011, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia indicted him on 13 counts of wire fraud and nine counts of money laundering.
Thorsen was a visiting researcher in the Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Division at the CDC before he received grants from two Danish governmental bodies: the Danish Medical Research Council and the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation. His work primarily focused on fetal alcohol syndrome, autism, and other childhood disorders. German authorities arrested him on June 4, 2025.
According to a report from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia in 2011, Thorsen allegedly submitted a fraudulent invoice that was signed by a CDC lab director in order to get reimbursed for fictitious research expenses. His faculty employer, Aarhus University, reportedly transferred substantial amounts of money to a CDC Federal Credit Union account believed to be linked to Thorsen.
The funds Thorsen allegedly misappropriated were used to purchase a home in Atlanta, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, an Audi, a Honda, and several cashier’s checks, according to the USAO statement. Federal authorities aim to seize the home, vehicle, and motorcycle.
Each count of wire fraud carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, while each count of money laundering can lead to a maximum of 10 years and a $250,000 fine. Yvonne Gamble, a spokesperson for the HHS-OIG, stated that Thorsen’s actions have harmed taxpayers and communities that rely on the research.
Thorsen’s arraignment was set for Friday in federal court in Atlanta.
The Daily Caller reached out to the CDC for comment but had not received a response at the time of reporting.
