Couple loses U.S. citizenship for stealing trade secrets

A U.S. District Court judge in California stripped Li Chen and Yu Zhou of their American citizenship after finding they committed crimes while becoming naturalized citizens. The married couple, who were originally from China, became citizens in 2016 and 2017, the Justice Department said Tuesday. They worked as medical researchers for Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. But in 2019, they were arrested and later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal trade secrets and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to the Justice Department. In 2021, they each were sentenced to over two years in prison, according to a case study by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Both Chen and Zhou also received about $1.5 million from the Chinese State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs in exchange for sharing sensitive research information, according to the Justice Department. They both served about 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release and paid more than $2.6 million in restitution.

Why did the couple’s 2019 conviction affect their citizenship status? People applying for U.S. naturalization must demonstrate good moral character for five years before becoming a citizen. Chen and Zhou were not eligible for citizenship because they committed crimes during those five years, according to the Justice Department.

Dig deeper: Read my report on two other recent instances in which convicted criminals lost their U.S. citizenship.