U.S. authorities arrested a second Chinese citizen in connection with an alleged conspiracy to steal high-tech corn seed developed by U.S. agricultural companies.
Mo Yun was arrested in Los Angeles and charged in an indictment with participating in a five-year scheme to dig up seeds and steal ears of corn developed by Monsanto Co., DuPont Co. and LG Seeds and ship them back to Beijing for the benefit of a Chinese seed company, according to U.S. officials.
Wednesday’s indictment followed the arrest last year of Mo Hailong, who is Ms. Mo’s brother, according to authorities. Prosecutors accused Mr. Mo in an indictment in December of helping to direct the alleged conspiracy. One DuPont official told authorities in 2011 that he had observed Mr. Mo unearthing seeds from a test field in Iowa, according to a complaint filed against him by federal prosecutors in December.
Ms. Mo, 41, is the wife of Dr. Shao Genhuo, who is founder and chairman of Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group Co., or DBN, a Chinese conglomerate that owns a corn-seed business, according to charges filed against her in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Dr. Shao and DBN haven’t been accused of any wrongdoing. Representatives of DBN couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
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Five other individuals have been indicted in the alleged plot, authorities have said.
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