Oops! Temple University professor actually not a Chinese spy
The United States justice system has majorly screwed up again, but this time they’re admitting to their mistake
In May,Temple University physics professor, Xiaoxing Xi, made national news for apparently selling the design for a magnesium diboride pocket heater to China after signing a nondisclosure agreement and was immediately arrested.
He pled not guilty, because he wasn’t, and posted $100,000 bail.
The federal government has once again made a mistake. After months of investigation, the US has decided to drop charges against Xi for allegedly selling secret defense technology to the Chinese government because they misunderstood the technology. How convenient.
The device he was sending information about was something he invented, not protected by a nondisclosure agreement nor was it a restricted device.
Peter Zeidenberg, Xi’s lawyer, has said “I think the government simply misunderstood what was being discussed in these communications.”
“It was our contention all along that these emails were innocent and did not reflect the transfer of any restricted information or information that was covered by a nondisclosure agreement.”
U.S. District Judge R. Barclay Surrick has yet to approve the motion dismissing the charges.
Xi stepped down from his position as the head of the physics department after he was arrested, but still continues to work here as a professor.
Let’s put this into perspective. You’re a great professor, very well respected by your colleagues and students, and the head of your department. You just happen to send an email about an invention that you made and the FBI finds it. Freaks out. Sounds like your high school ex, right? Snooping through your business looking to ruin your reputation or find something incriminating? The Federal Bureau of Investigation was that high school ex.
Why is it that they had to pick Xi? He is a naturalized United States citizen, who happened to be communicating with a potential governmental entity. They were so quick to jump to a conclusion, that they made the biggest mistake they could have made, the arrest of an innocent man.
In a time where terrorist activity is at an all time high, any small accusation will become national news and can ruin the life of the accused. Maybe next time the federal government won’t be so quick to assume that all emails about technology to the government of another country are illegal activity.