University of Kansas professor, Feng “Franklin” Tao, was recently indicted on one count of wire fraud and three counts of program fraud. Assistant Attorney General Demers for National Security explained, “Tao is alleged to have defrauded the U.S. government by unlawfully receiving federal grant money at the same time that he was employed and paid by a Chinese research university.”
The indictment alleges that Tao signed a contract with Fuzhou University, located in China, in May 2018. While under the Fuzhou University contract, Tao also worked as an assistant professor at the University of Kansas’ Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis, or CEBC. His research was funded through multiple grants from the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as the National Science Foundation.
If convicted of wire fraud, Tao faces up to 20 years in prison, and up to 10 years in prison for each count of program fraud.