Simon Ang, 63, a University of Arkansas-Fayetteville engineering professor who was arrested in May for wire fraud, has now been indicted on 42 counts of wire fraud and two counts of passport fraud.
The wire fraud charges relate to his failure to report to the university and government agencies his financial and other ties to companies and institutions in China. A Justice Department news release said, “This is a hallmark of China’s targeting of research and academic collaborations within the United States in order to obtain U.S. technology illegally.”
Ang went to work at UA in 1988. He was director of the high-density electronics center until his arrest in May. He worked on grant contracts funded by government agencies but failed to disclose conflicts of interest as required, either to UA or government agencies, such as NASA.
The wire fraud charges cover activities from June 9, 2013, through May 8, 2020, a news release said. The counts are for the transmission of individual grant payments.
He was also accused of false statements on a passport renewal application.
According to the indictment, Ang stated that he was not known by any names other than “Simon Saw-Teong Ang,” which he knew to be false. The Indictment also charged that Ang listed plans for a trip to Singapore with a departure date of August 30, 2019, and a return date of September 7, 2019, which he knew also to be false.
Tang posted a $200,000 bond for release on his arrest following the original complaint. The indictment expands the charge originally filed.
