Federal Judge Revokes Naturalization of Married Couple Who Conspired to Steal Medical Trade Secrets and Share Them with China

# Federal Judge Revokes Citizenship of Couple Convicted of Stealing Medical Trade Secrets

A federal judge in San Diego revoked the naturalized U.S. citizenship of Li Chen and Yu Zhou on March 30, 2026, finding they illegally obtained their citizenship status. Both defendants previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge James E. Simmons Jr. determined that these crimes involved moral turpitude, making them ineligible for naturalization.

Chen and Zhou worked as research scientists at Nationwide Children's Hospital, where they stole proprietary medical trade secrets related to exosome isolation technology. The couple established their own company and acquired shares in another firm using the stolen secrets, while also receiving funding from China's State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs. Both defendants were arrested in 2019 and charged with theft and sale of trade secrets.

The denaturalizations mark part of a broader Department of Justice effort to revoke citizenship obtained through fraud or criminal conduct. Attorney General Pamela Bondi emphasized that citizenship "remains a privilege to obtain, not a right to abuse."