Chinese National Tied to Suspected Las Vegas Biolab Found Guilty of COVID Test Fraud

The verdict came after a years-long investigation into the man’s California-based scheme, but his involvement in a suspected biolab remains unresolved.

Jia Bei "Jesse" Zhu, 62, who was arrested in connection with an investigation into a black market Chinese lab operating in a warehouse in Reedley, Calif. Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Justice

A California jury found a Chinese national guilty on all counts on May 6 for selling more than 1 million faulty COVID-19 tests and obtaining nearly $4 million from customers across the United States.

The verdict concluded a years-long investigation into Jia Bei Zhu’s scheme, which involved lying to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and importing faulty COVID-19 tests from China, the Department of Justice (DOJ) stated, but his alleged involvement in a suspected biolab in Las Vegas has yet to be resolved.