Chinese researcher arrested for destroying evidence to obstruct FBI investigation

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U.S. authorities arrested and filed charges against a Chinese researcher for destroying evidence to obstruct an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) identified the defendant as Guan Lei, a Chinese researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles. Guan is a Chinese citizen, who came to the United States on a J-1 nonimmigrant visa.

Guan is facing a criminal complaint alleging that he refused a request by the FBI to examine his computer and attempted to leave the United States. U.S. authorities prohibited him from boarding a flight to China.

On July 25, the FBI observed the Guan threw an internal hard drive into a dumpster outside his apartment. The internal hard drive was “was irreparably damaged and that all previous data associated with the hard drive appears to have been removed deliberately and by force,” according to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint against the Chinese researcher.

Additionally, the complaint alleged that Guan hid digital storage devices from investigators and lied about his communications with the Chinese consulate while staying in the United States for almost two years.