- A senior NASA scientist pleaded guilty on Jan. 13 to lying about his ties to a Chinese-backed program designed to harvest talents from the West and transfer intellectual property to China, the Justice Department announced.
- He was charged with one count of making false statements and could face a maximum five-year prison sentence and up to $250,000 fine if convicted.
- NASA prohibits “any outside employment activities” without approval, including engagement as a speaker or teacher.
- “Members of U.S. government agencies are strictly prohibited from maintaining undisclosed affiliations with foreign entities, especially those that are actively seeking our intellectual property and technological advances,” said FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney Jr. “Actions like those carried about by Meyyappan can have security implications, and his charges should serve as a warning to others thinking about engaging in the same type of activity.”
– Eva Fu | January 14, 2021
