Copyright WDIV ClickOnDetroit
WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. – Three people were charged in connection with smuggling biological materials to Michigan following one Chinese national’s sentencing to prison. According to a criminal complaint, three people were charged in connection with a University of Michigan scholar who was accused of smuggling biological materials from China to the United States. Background Chengxuan Han pleaded no contest to illegally shipping biological material to the U.S. and was sentenced to three months in federal prison. According to authorities, Han was pursuing a Ph.D. at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China. She reportedly sent four packages from China containing concealed biological materials to two people working in a University of Michigan laboratory. Han initially gave several conflicting statements to officers, but later told Customs and Border Protection she was a doctoral student coming to the University of Michigan to complete her research project. She admitted to sending her research materials ahead of her arrival. All four packages were reportedly manifested improperly and did not contain the correct documentation for them to be imported. All four packages were improperly manifested and lacked the correct documentation for importation. One package was labeled as plastic plates but allegedly contained eight petri dishes with biological materials. Another package reportedly included an envelope with a handwritten note hidden inside a book. Through the use of a translator, she allegedly made false statements regarding the packages and the biological materials reportedly shipped to the United States. Han was sentenced on Sept. 10, 2025. 3 more people charged Xu Bai and Fengfan Zhang were charged with conspiracy to smuggle goods in the United States. Zhiyong Zhang was charged with providing false statements. What to know about Bai, Fengfan, Zhiyong Bai, a 28-year-old Chinese national, entered the United States on a J-1 visa as a scholar at the University of Michigan on Aug. 2, 2024. Fengfan, a 27-year-old Chinese national, entered the United States on a J-1 visa as a scholar at the University of Michigan on Sept. 3, 2023. According to court records, Bai and Fengfan are roommates. Zhiyong, a 30-year-old Chinese national, entered the United States on a J-1 visa as a scholar at the University of Michigan on Sept. 19, 2021. Federal authorities said a shipment from Han that was inspected and seized by customs and border protection on March 5, 2025, was destined for Bai’s apartment in Ann Arbor. According to Customs and Border Protection, the package contained a book with an envelope tucked into the middle of the pages. Inside the envelope was a handwritten note with 28 shapes and a labeling scheme for each shape. Federal investigators said the labels on the note were consistent with biological materials related to C. elegans research. On March 31, 2025, Customs and Border Protection officers contacted Bai regarding the intercepted package. He was allegedly uncooperative and refused to speak with or meet with the officers. Between July 3, 2024, and Oct. 7, 2024, Han shipped packages to whom investigators believed to be Fengfan. Three of the five shipments allegedly contained improperly manifested biologics. Federal authorities believe the package was sent to Fengfan because it was shipped to his address. Han’s arrest During a second inspection by Customs and Border Protection on June 8, 2025, at DTW, Han initially denied knowing Bai and denied sending shipments from China to the United States. Han later admitted to knowing Bai and told authorities the images were part of a game. She also admitted to federal authorities that she sent about five to ten packages to the United States and said she was told by a Chinese courier that several of them were lost in transit. She later said she knew the three Chinese nationals because they studied biology together. Han then told the FBI that she sent three shipments to Fengfan containing research materials for their research project. Han said she wanted Fengfan to use a microscope at the University of Michigan and provide advice on the samples. She said she had a microscope in China but wanted Fenfang’s advice. Court documents state Han admitted she lied to border patrol officers because she thought telling the truth could negatively implicate Bai. When Han was arrested at Detroit Metro Airport on June 8, 2025, Fengfan and Zhiyong were there to pick her up. The two were interviewed by federal authorities while waiting in a car for Han to be released. Court documents state both Fengfan and Zhiyong were friends of Han, they worked with her, they were at the airport to pick her up and she would be staying at Fengfan’s apartment in the United States. Zhiyong then gave authorities a detailed description of Han’s research at the University of Michigan. When he was asked about the packages, he allegedly responded, “No, I never received that.” After Han’s arrest and removal from the United States, the University of Michigan launched an internal investigation into the Shawn Xu laboratory. Bai, Fengfan and Zhiyong each allegedly refused to participate in the investigation, including a meeting on Sept. 29, 2025, and were terminated by the university as a result. On Oct. 8, 2025, the University of Michigan terminated the SEVIS records for Bai, Fengfan and Zhiyong, making them no longer in compliance with their J-1 visas. 3 arrested at JFK International Airport Federal authorities said on Sept. 30, the day after the three allegedly refused to meet with the university’s internal investigators, they booked tickets with Delta Airline for a flight on Oct. 20 to China. Federal officials tried to find Bai, Fengfan and Zhiyong, but were unsuccessful. However, authorities learned through Delta Airlines records that the three changed their flights to depart on Oct. 15 instead. On Oct. 15, federal agents tried to find the three at the Detroit Metro Airport ahead of their flight, but they never arrived. Authorities then learned they booked another flight to China that was scheduled to depart from New York on Oct. 16. On Oct. 16, Bai, Fengfan and Zhiyong were found at the JFK International Airport at the departure gate for a flight heading to China while being escorted by a Michigan attorney. They were taken into custody.
