Harvard scientist accused of frog embryo smuggling faces new charges
Harvard University researcher Kseniia Petrova is facing a pair of additional charges two weeks after a judge released her from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention.
In a court filing Wednesday, the federal government charged Petrova with one count of concealment of a material fact and one count of false statement, on top of the one count of smuggling goods she already faced after she was detained by ICE in February for allegedly smuggling frog embryos into the country.
The Russian-born scientist saw her J-1 nonimmigrant visa revoked and faced deportation back to Russia, which she said she fears due to her opposition to the war in Ukraine.
U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss recently ruled Petrova is not a flight risk and allowed her to be released while her proceedings move forward.
'We are gratified that today's hearing gave us the opportunity to present clear and convincing evidence that Kseniia Petrova was not carrying anything dangerous or unlawful, and that customs officers at Logan International Airport had no legal authority to revoke her visa or detain her,' said Gregory Romanovsky, Petrova's attorney.
Petrova has said she did not realize the items in her bag needed to be declared, while the federal government claims she purposely concealed the alleged frog embryos.
'A subsequent K9 inspection uncovered undeclared petri dishes, containers of unknown substances, and loose vials of embryonic frog cells, all without proper permits,' a Homeland Security spokesperson said in the statement. 'Messages found on her phone revealed she planned to smuggle the materials through customs without declaring them.'
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