Chinese Owner of California Biolab Arrested Following FDA Investigation into Biological Weapons Rumors

The Chinese owner of an unauthorized central California lab has been arrested on charges related to manufacturing and distributing medical test kits without the proper permits and mislabeling some of the kits. Jia Bei Zhu, 62, was arrested after an investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The charges are not related to online conspiracy theories about China and biological weapons.

Zhu, also known as Jesse Zhu, Qiang He, and David He, is a citizen of China who used to live in Clovis, California. Court documents allege that he and others manufactured, imported, sold, and distributed hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 test kits, as well as tests for HIV, pregnancy, and other conditions in both the U.S. and China.

The two companies involved, Universal Meditech Inc. and Prestige Biotech Inc., did not have the proper authorizations to manufacture and distribute the kits and mislabeled some of them. Zhu also made false statements to the FDA about his identity, ownership, and control of the companies and their activities.

The investigation began when medical test kits were discovered in a warehouse in Reedley, California. The discovery led to rumors of biological weapons being made, but it was later determined that the lab was simply using mice to grow antibody cells for test kits. The lab did not have any illegal materials or select agents that could be used as bioweapons, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert stated that Zhu tried to avoid scrutiny by changing his name, the names of his companies, and their locations. However, the investigation uncovered his scheme and revealed his violation of regulations designed to ensure the safety and effectiveness of medical devices.

Overall, the charges against Zhu are related to violations of federal health regulations and do not confirm the conspiracy theories about China and biological weapons.