CHEYENNE, WY — A Chinese graduate student at the University of Wyoming has been arrested on allegations that she poisoned a colleague’s tea with acrylamide and then tried to leave the country. Prosecutors say Aili Wang, 32, was taken into custody Oct. 6 at Los Angeles International Airport while attempting to return to China.
Authorities say Wang had laptops, storage devices and documents with her when she was arrested. She now faces a felony aggravated assault and battery charge in Wyoming, and court records say a judge increased her bond to $1.5 million cash only.
Prosecutors say acrylamide was placed in a coffee maker water supply
Court documents allege Wang bought acrylamide on eBay and put it into water from a coffee maker used by the victim, identified in court records only as K.T. Prosecutors say the man later suffered fatigue, numbness, weakness and trouble concentrating.
The alleged exposure prompted an investigation after the victim’s wife and others detected 63 milligrams of acrylamide in the coffee maker water. Acrylamide is a chemical that can act as a neurotoxin, according to the professor overseeing the two students.
Surveillance video and police affidavit describe tensions between the students
University of Wyoming campus police said surveillance video appears to show Wang going through the victim’s desk, photographing notebooks and rinsing his mug with liquid from her own mug. Investigators also said the two students did not get along, according to the affidavit.
The victim was working on patent-pending research tied to technology used to treat cancer and other diseases. Police said Wang had worked on similar research in China before coming to the United States, raising questions investigators say they were still working to sort out.
Investigators say Wang bought the chemical twice and asked eBay to delete her account
Prosecutors said Wang purchased acrylamide twice last summer and later asked eBay to delete her account. On Oct. 5, she allegedly told police that she had not used acrylamide in years.
The online purchases and her reported request to erase the account are now part of the case prosecutors are using to support the accusation that she obtained the chemical deliberately. Court filings say investigators linked those purchases to the substance found in the coffee maker water.
Professor says the allegations left the research lab shaken
Mark Gomelsky, the professor who oversaw both students, said the allegations came as a major shock. He told The Associated Press that it was disheartening to see one student’s life put at risk while another may be responsible.
Gomelsky said the victim is still experiencing symptoms. He also said acrylamide can damage nerve cells and that it is unclear whether the man will fully recover.
What happens next in the Wyoming assault case
Wang remained jailed in Los Angeles while awaiting extradition to Wyoming, where the aggravated assault and battery charge carries a possible prison sentence of up to 10 years. Prosecutors have not said when she is expected to return to the state for further proceedings.
The case is being handled through the courts in Albany County, Wyoming, based on University of Wyoming campus police affidavits and filings there. For now, investigators say the victim’s symptoms continue and the criminal case is moving forward separately from the university setting.
