Illegal Biolab Found Inside Las Vegas Home ‘HIV, Malaria, Ebola, COVID’ [Video]

LAS VEGAS, NV (THECOUNT) — Jia Bei Zhu, identified in a congressional report as a citizen of the People’s Republic of China and a wanted fugitive from Canada, is connected to a Las Vegas property where authorities say they uncovered what may have been a clandestine biological laboratory operating inside a residential home over the weekend.

According to Fox News and statements from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, officers assisted by SWAT and hazardous materials teams executed a search warrant Saturday at a home on the east side of Las Vegas after receiving a tip about potentially dangerous activity inside the residence.

During a Monday press briefing, LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill said investigators recovered more than 1,000 items described as “potential biological and hazardous materials,” most of which were located inside a locked garage on the property. Authorities emphasized there is no current threat to the public.

Police arrested the property manager, Ori Solomon, 55, at the scene. Solomon was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on charges related to the disposal and discharge of hazardous waste, according to investigators.

McMahill said officers took extensive precautions before entering the home, including deploying a robot to clear rooms, collect air samples, and verify conditions were safe before personnel entered.

Inside the garage, investigators found multiple refrigerators containing vials of unidentified liquids, gallon-sized containers filled with unknown substances, a centrifuge, and other laboratory-style equipment.

“Some of that evidence included biological material and liquids that were meticulously collected and sent to FBI labs for testing,” police said in a statement.

Investigators identified the homeowner as Jia Bei Zhu, who is currently in federal custody in connection with a separate case involving an unauthorized laboratory discovered in Reedley, California, in 2023.

Investigators reviewing the earlier Reedley, California, laboratory — owned by the same individual connected to the Las Vegas property — reported that the facility contained thousands of vials labeled with names of infectious agents, including HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, COVID-19, and a container marked “Ebola,” according to a federal report. Authorities said the Reedley lab also housed thousands of laboratory mice and had been the subject of a congressional investigation into the unauthorized handling of biological materials.

Zhu’s attorney, Anthony Capozzi, denied any connection between his client and the Las Vegas discovery.

“He is not involved in any kind of a biolab being conducted in a home in Las Vegas,” Capozzi said. “What went on in that residence we are unaware of.”

The Reedley laboratory previously drew national attention after city officials discovered a covert operation inside a warehouse owned by Zhu’s company, Universal Meditech Inc.

According to a report from the House Select Committee on the People’s Republic of China, Zhu is a citizen of the PRC and a wanted fugitive from Canada.

The committee report further alleged Zhu maintained ties to the Chinese government and played a role in a transnational criminal enterprise involving the theft of U.S. intellectual property.

Officials in Reedley initially launched their investigation after a code enforcement officer observed a garden hose protruding from the warehouse. Inspectors later reported finding extensive laboratory equipment, medical-grade freezers, and approximately 1,000 transgenic mice allegedly used in disease research.

The FBI is assisting with the Las Vegas investigation, which remains ongoing. Authorities have not disclosed the exact nature of the materials recovered or whether additional arrests are expected.

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