A former MD Anderson Cancer Center researcher is facing charges after prosecutors say he tried to steal sensitive cancer research and take it to China.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office announced that 35-year-old Yunhai Li, a non-immigrant, has been charged with theft of trade secrets, a third-degree felony, and tampering with a government record, a misdemeanor.
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Li, who had been employed at MD Anderson since 2022 on a non-immigrant research scholar exchange visa, allegedly attempted to leave the country with proprietary cancer-related research in his possession, according to prosecutors.
On July 9, authorities said U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations found the sensitive information during an inspection of Li’s belongings at an airport as he was preparing to board a flight to China.
Court documents note that Li misrepresented having a copy of the medical research data and was attempting to permanently leave the United States. Prosecutors also said Li has no ties to the local community.
The theft of trade secrets charge carries a penalty of two to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. The tampering charge is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. The investigation remains ongoing, and officials said more charges could be filed.
“Houston is proudly home to some of the most groundbreaking medical institutions in the world – publicly funded centers that are saving lives each day thanks to their innovative research,” District Attorney Sean Teare said in a statement. “We have zero tolerance for any attempts that hurt our nation and our community’s ability to pioneer critical medical breakthroughs.”
The felony case is filed in the 174th District Court and the misdemeanor case in Harris County Criminal Court at Law 5. Li was released on a $5,000 bond.