One Scientist Guilty, Another One Sentenced

The Justice Department has secured a guilty plea on espionage charges from one scientist and a five-year prison sentence for another scientist convicted of insider trading. Former DuPont researcher Tze Chao, 77, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit economic espionage by providing a Chinese-government-controlled company with proprietary information on DuPont’s titanium dioxide production process. Chao, who was charged along with four others in the conspiracy (C&EN, Feb. 13, page 7), faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of $500,000. Cheng Yi Liang, 58, a former FDA chemist, drew a five-year prison sentence for profiting from knowledge of upcoming drug approval announcements. Last October he pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud and one count of making false statements. Liang was also ordered at that time to turn over $3.7 million in illegal profits.