Dark secrets of Fresno biolab revealed as Chinese national convicted in nationwide scheme

Nypost · 🇨🇳 public China · May 06, 2026 · 631 words · By Katie Jerkovich

Public Health Risk Criminal Fraud Foreign Influence/National Origin

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What to know about Public Health Risk

Dark secrets of Fresno biolab revealed as Chinese national convicted in nationwide scheme A 64-year-old Chinese national has been convicted by a federal jury of selling more than a million fraudulent COVID-19 tests nationwide out of a Fresno biolab during the…

Claims checked 11

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

The Department of Justice said that Jia Bei Zhu was found guilty of fraudulently selling nearly $4 million worth of the faulty tests out of his Fresno-based company Universal Meditech Inc (UMI) to customers across the US.

Common ground

He was convicted on nearly a dozen counts including, one for making a false statement to the FDA, eight counts of substantive wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Public Health Risk story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Jia Bei Zhu was found guilty of fraudulently selling nearly $4 million worth of the faulty tests out of his Fresno-based company Universal Meditech Inc (UMI) to customers across the US?
How does this story connect Public Health Risk with Criminal Fraud over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/06/us-news/dark-secrets-of-fresno-biolab-revealed-as-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4

check_circle Corroborated 3

help Insufficient Evidence 3

schedule Pending 1

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Claim 1: “Jia Bei Zhu was found guilty of fraudulently selling nearly $4 million worth of the faulty tests out of his Fresno-based company Universal Meditech Inc (UMI) to customers across the US.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results explicitly state that Jia Bei Zhu was found guilty of selling nearly $4 million worth of tests through Universal Meditech Inc (UMI).

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Treatment of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) The goals of treatment are to: Control inflammation. Reduce pain and stiffness. Prevent joint and organ damage. Preserve and improve joint function. Pr…
https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/juvenile-arthritis/d…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The most common type of long-lasting arthritis that affects children is juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Symptoms include joint pain, swelling, warmth, & stiffness.
https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/juvenile-arthritis/m…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Overview of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) Like adults, children can develop arthritis, a condition that causes inflammation of the joints. The most common type of chronic, or long-lasting, arthr…
https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/juvenile-arthritis

help

Claim 2: “Wang has also been charged in the case, but fled from the US before Zhu’s arrest and remains a fugitive from justice in China, per the DOJ.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided regarding Zhaoyan Wang's status as a fugitive in China.

help

Claim 3: “Zhu was arrested in October 2023.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided regarding the specific arrest date of October 2023.

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Claim 4: “A 64-year-old Chinese national has been convicted by a federal jury of selling more than a million fraudulent COVID-19 tests nationwide out of a Fresno biolab during the pandemic.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Jia Bei Zhu, a 64-year-old Chinese national, was found guilty by a jury of fraudulently selling over a million COVID tests via his company.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 64 is a power of two, an interprime [1], a superperfect number [2], an Erdős–Woods number [3], a square and a cube. In four dimensions, there are 64 convex uniform polychora aside from two infinite fa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/64_(number)

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Music "64" (song), a 2011 song by hip hop band Odd Future Sixty Four (album), a 2004 album recorded in 1964 by Donovan "64" is the title of a song by the hip-hop group Mellowhype from their album Blac…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/64

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Discover the fascinating world of the number 64! Explore its meanings, significance in mathematics, science, religion, folklore, angel numbers, arts, literature, and more.
https://numeraly.com/about-the-number-64/

schedule

Claim 5: “Zhu is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 24.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 6: “Zhu’s scheme was first uncovered in mid-2022 after one of his victims “filed a civil lawsuit against UMI,” the DOJ said.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence does not mention the specific trigger of a civil lawsuit in mid-2022.

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Claim 7: “Zhu moved the operation to a clandestine lab in Reedley, 20 miles south of Fresno.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources link Jia Bei Zhu to a clandestine/illegal lab in Reedley, California.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The defendant in the case, Jia Bei Zhu, a Chinese national, has not been charged with running an illicit biolab and his attorney has denied it. The vials discovered in Reedley were never tested.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-03-25/she-unco…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Following a two-week trial, a jury found Jia Bei Zhu, 64, a Chinese national, guilty of fraudulently selling more than a million COVID tests for nearly $4 million through his Fresno-based company Univ…
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/guilty-verdict-californ…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Federal investigators allege that Jia Bei Zhu, also known as Qiang "David" He, is the man behind a clandestine Chinese-run lab found operating illegally in Reedley in late 2022.
https://www.fresnobee.com/news/article314758534.html

info

Claim 8: “Zhu lied that the tests were approved by the FDA, that they were made in the USA, that they came from a certified lab, and that they actually worked.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence confirms the fraud generally, but does not explicitly list the specific lies regarding FDA approval, USA origin, or certified labs in the snippets.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jun 5, 2025 · Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) Juvenile arthritis describes arthritis in children. Arthritis is caused by inflammation of the joints. Find out all you need to know about juvenile ar…
https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/all-diseases

info

Claim 9: “City officials in Reedley then got involved in December 2022 after a code enforcement officer noticed a green garden hose protruding from a warehouse in the city, where they found an illegal biolab.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence confirms the discovery of the Reedley lab in late 2022, but the specific detail about the 'green garden hose' is not present in the provided snippets to corroborate across multiple sources.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — December is the first month of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the first month of summer in the Southern Hemisphere. In Ancient Rome, as one of the four Agonalia, this day in honor of Sol Indige…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Nov 21, 2025 · The Month of December 2025: holidays, folklore, fun facts, gardening, recipes, and more from The Old Farmer's Almanac.
https://www.almanac.com/content/month-of-december-holidays-f…

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web search NEUTRAL — Nov 24, 2025 · The full moon in December is known as the cold moon, a name derived from the Mohawk nation, whose traditional territory straddles the U.S.-Canada border.
https://www.history.com/articles/december-month-history-fact…

help

Claim 10: “Between August 2020 and March 2023, Zhu, his romantic partner Zhaoyan Wang and others at UMI “conspired with each other to import faulty COVID tests from China and then sell them to customers based” on lies.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results regarding the specific dates (August 2020 to March 2023) or the involvement of Zhaoyan Wang.

info

Claim 11: “He was convicted on nearly a dozen counts including, one for making a false statement to the FDA, eight counts of substantive wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the general conviction is corroborated, the specific breakdown of counts (1 FDA statement, 8 wire fraud, 1 conspiracy) is not detailed in the provided evidence snippets.

travel_explore

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.