DETROIT (WXYZ) — Chengxuan Han was back in federal court today for her detention hearing; however, it was postponed.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report:
The Chinese research student is accused of smuggling biological materials into the United States, and she said they're for research purposes at the University of Michigan.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Chinese citizen arrested after smuggling biological materials related to U-M lab
It's the second of two similar cases involving Chinese nationals and the University of Michigan.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Chinese nationals accused of smuggling pathogen into U.S. for work at U-M
Han appeared before the judge in an orange prison jumpsuit. Her attorney asked the judge for more time to review her case because of a bond issue. The detention hearing is rescheduled for Friday.
Former FBI agent Andy Bartnowak said it makes no sense for a research student headed to study at the University of Michigan to risk criminal charges and losing her J-1 visa when all she had to do was disclose what she was shipping to the US for her research.
"She's highly educated. She's working towards her doctorate. It just seems to defy common sense and logic to go and do this," Bartnowak told 7 News Detroit. "It's interesting because it appears from the complaint that there's nothing in there that suggests that any of the materials that she brought in could have any harmful effect."
The biological materials in this case are C. elegans, or roundworms. Michigan State University plant pathology professor Martin Chilvers explains.
"The C. elegans, the nematode or roundworm, is widely prevalent around the world. It is a naturally occurring organism. It is used a lot in research for genetics and developmental biology because it is so easy to work with," the professor told 7 News Detroit.
Chilvers said the organism is like a lab rat. It's easy to manipulate and study for research purposes. So, if it poses no national security or agricultural threat, Bartnowak said that leaves the question of why Han allegedly lied twice about shipping it.
The first time authorities said Han made false statements was when filling out shipping documentation. The second time she allegedly lied was at Detroit Metro Airport, where she was questioned by customs agents.
Bartnowak said, "I think that's part, probably, of what law enforcement is trying to determine in the course of their investigation, ya know. Was she doing this because she was scared and made a bad decision, or is there something else going on underneath all this that caused her to lie?"
"That's what I think law enforcement would be trying to rule that out," he said.
The University of Michigan released a statement Tuesday, emphasizing its integrity in research and its cooperation with *each investigation.
