A University of Florida research employee and students have been implicated in an illegal, multi-million dollar scheme that saw samples of dangerous drugs and toxins illicitly shipped to China over a period of seven years.
The scheme, investigated by the Justice Department, saw thousands of biochemical samples bought illegally which were then delivered to a campus laboratory before being shipped overseas, according to federal court records.
Among the students tied to the scheme was the president of UF’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association, Nongnong ‘Leticia’ Zheng.
The group openly protested a Florida law signed by Gov. Ron De Santis last year that limits universities from recruiting students and faculty from China — and bans employing such students from working in academic labs without special permission.