In a recent development at the University of Florida, the chair of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, Nongnong “Leticia” Zheng, has been banned from entering the campus for three years until May 2027. This decision came after allegations that Zheng was involved in the illegal transportation of drugs to China, sending shockwaves through the international student community in the United States.
The case involving Zheng is complex, as it involves multiple individuals associated with the University of Florida under aliases. The U.S. Department of Justice announced on May 22 that a Chinese man, Pen “Ben” Yu, and a Florida man, Gregory Muñoz, conspired to purchase discounted products from a subsidiary of Merck KGaA, a German pharmaceutical company, through the university’s campus laboratory. These products, including hazardous drugs and toxins, were then exported to China with falsified export documents.
Merck KGaA voluntarily disclosed this scheme after their compliance officer discovered that Muñoz, along with others, were exporting sensitive biochemical chemicals to China. This marks the first time the U.S. Department of Justice is implementing regulations that allow companies to self-disclose violations and receive leniency, which were introduced in 2019 and revised earlier this year.
While Merck’s North American subsidiary will not face charges, the two men involved in the conspiracy, Yu and Muñoz, have admitted to charges of wire fraud conspiracy. They are set to await sentencing in August this year, facing a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
According to court documents, Yu, a U.S. citizen of Chinese descent, fraudulently purchased biochemical drugs worth $13.7 million from MilliporeSigma, a significant discount from the actual cost of $4.9 million, under the guise of university orders. These products, which included controlled substances such as fentanyl, morphine, ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine, and others, were redirected to China through the university’s storage facilities.
Upon noticing suspicious orders, MilliporeSigma’s compliance team uncovered the conspiracy. Yu had been placing orders since 2016, gradually expanding the discounts and demanding more substantial price reductions up to 30%.
By February 2023, Yu involved Zheng, a senior majoring in marketing at the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business and the chair of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, in placing orders through the school’s storage room under her name. Zheng, who holds a student visa, was promised paid internship opportunities by Yu for members of the association.
However, in April 2023, a shipment bound for China was intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, revealing the presence of Codeine, Methamphetamine, Methadone, and Hydrocodone labeled as “diluents.” Zheng expressed her concerns in an interview with Florida Politics, fearing potential deportation to China despite originally planning to graduate in May 2025.
Upon receiving a letter from the Department of Justice in 2023, informing her of being under investigation by a grand jury and facing possible imprisonment or deportation, Zheng acknowledged the wrongful nature of her actions. She emphasized her desire to develop a comprehensive resume but lacked awareness of the suspicious nature of the transactions orchestrated by Yu.
Despite being promised $25 per hour compensation by Yu, Zheng’s sole reward was a Best Buy gift card for a new laptop. The University of Florida has imposed a three-year ban on the involved international students from campus and will also dismiss all staff associated with the illegal shipment of contraband to China.