INDIANAPOLIS — A former Indiana University researcher was sentenced to more than four months in prison for smuggling E. Coli DNA from China.
Youhuang Xiang, 32, of China pleaded guilty to the charges. He also received a $500 fine and supervised release.
United States Attorney’s Office of Southern District of Indiana said Xiang will immediately be removed from the United States under a judicial order.
Xiang held a Ph.D. from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He came to IU Bloomington in June 2023 on a J-1 visa to conduct postdoctoral research in the biology department.
The FBI Indianapolis Division began investigating suspicious shipments from China to IU affiliates in November 2025, according to court documents.
Agents determined Xiang received a suspicious package at his Bloomington home in March 2024. The package came from Guangzhou Sci-Tech Innovation Trading.
The shipping manifest declared the contents as "Underwear of Man-Made Fibers, Other Womens." Investigators found it unusual that Xiang was ordering women's underwear from a science and technology company.
Customs and Border Protection officials interviewed Xiang at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on November 23, 2025. He was returning from a research trip in the United Kingdom.
Xiang initially denied knowledge of smuggling. He later admitted the shipping manifest was intentionally mislabeled, according to court documents.
Samples of E. coli bacteria DNA were concealed in the package to circumvent U.S. law, officials said.
CBP immediately terminated Xiang's J-1 visa and he was arrested by the FBI.
The FBI investigation revealed Xiang was a member of the Chinese Communist Party, court documents revealed. Officals said he lied about his CCP affiliation when questioned by immigration authorities during his April 7 sentencing hearing.
"Xiang intentionally exploited his access to laboratory facilities at one of Indiana's flagship research universities," said U.S. Attorney Tom Wheeler. "Such conduct poses a very serious threat to public safety and to the health of our agricultural economy."
Wheeler said customs laws exist to protect borders, the economy and citizens.
"Those who attempt to secretly bring biological materials into the United States are taking a serious risk with public safety," said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O'Malley.
The FBI Indianapolis Division, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
