Conviction of Fraudulent Coronavirus Test Seller
A federal jury has found a 64-year-old man from China guilty of selling over a million fake coronavirus tests from his biolab in Fresno. His name is Jia Bei Zhu, and during the pandemic, he reportedly sold around $4 million in substandard testing products through his company, Universal Meditech, Inc. (UMI).
Zhu was convicted on multiple counts, including lying to the FDA, committing wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. U.S. Attorney Eric Grant commented that this verdict holds people accountable for taking advantage of a public health crisis for personal gain.
During this time of need, he misled the public by repackaging low-quality tests made overseas as FDA-approved, which is concerning when accurate testing was essential.
From August 2020 to March 2023, Zhu, along with his girlfriend Zhao Yanwang and other UMI staff, colluded to import defective test kits and sell them to unsuspecting customers, often with false claims about their efficacy.
In court, evidence showed that some employees knew what Zhu was up to but felt too intimidated to speak out or stop the sales of these deceptive products.
The Justice Department became aware of Zhu’s scheme in mid-2022 when a victim filed a lawsuit against UMI, prompting further investigation into the dubious practices at the Fresno lab. Inspectors discovered significant issues, including unsanitary conditions and inadequate medical equipment, along with numerous boxes of tests imported from China.
After Zhu attempted to evade scrutiny by relocating operations to an undisclosed lab in Reedley and changing names, authorities continued their investigation. Reedley officials got involved when they noticed suspicious activity, leading to the discovery of the illegal lab and Zhu’s subsequent arrest in October 2023.
The U.S. Attorney reiterated that such illegal operations jeopardize public safety. FBI Special Agent Sid Patel remarked on Zhu’s opportunistic behavior during a health crisis, emphasizing the importance of maintaining truthful information regarding medical products.
Zhu faces serious penalties, with potential sentences adding up to 20 years for each count of conspiracy and wire fraud, along with additional years for other charges. Sentencing is set for August 24th.
