Wyoming student arrested after allegedly poisoning rival’s tea with neurotoxin
A Chinese microbiology graduate student in Wyoming has been arrested after she was accused of poisoning a colleague’s tea, then trying to flee the US after police questioned her.
Aili Wang, aged 32, was detained on 6 October at Los Angeles International Airport while allegedly trying to return to China.
Police have seized laptops, electronic storage devices and documents found with her, following allegations that surveillance footage captured her searching the desk of a victim specializing in disease treatment technology – work closely resembling research that Wang had previously conducted in China.
Wang remained in jail without bail on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
It is alleged Wang purchased a chemical called acrylamide on eBay, which was discovered after the alleged victim’s wife and multiple others tested water from the coffee maker he had used to brew tea.
For years, U.S. officials have been accusing China of stealing American universities’ intellectual property.
The microbiology professor overseeing both graduate students, Mark Gomelsky, said the accusations left him reeling.
He was uncertain if the victim would fully recover.
“It’s been disheartening, to say the least, to see that one of your student’s life is in jeopardy and another student may be responsible for that,” Gomelsky said.
“That was one of the worst shocks in my professional career.”
Wang had no attorney listed in court documents.
Reporters from the Associated Press tried to reach her via email and LinkedIn messages.
The police investigation began after the victim, identified in court documents as “K.T.,” began experiencing symptoms and his wife and others allegedly isolated the chemical in the coffee maker water.
The victim and campus police then set up surveillance cameras in the office space he shared with Wang at the university in Laramie.
