Sandia National Labs scientist indicted

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A Sandia National Labs scientist is in federal custody on charges he stole lab research and shared it with China.

Court documents show was in contact with several state run universities there.

Jianyu Huang started working at a Sandia Labs research center that focuses on nanotechnology five years ago.

He was fired in April.

Sandia National Labs says Huang did not have access to classified national security information.

However, the indictment accuses the scientist of stealing research on nanotechnology that belongs to the United States and saying it was his own.

He is also accused of sharing that information online with different state run universities in China.

Huang also made a trip to China.

He's accused of lying to lab counterintelligence officers about taking a laptop there that belongs to the lab, a violation of lab procedures.

Lab workers are not allowed to take any lab equipment on international trips without approval.

In a statement released by Sandia Monday, it says it expects all employees to follow procedures.

He was fired for violating those procedures.

Huang was indicted on five counts of federal program fraud and one count of false statements.

His indictment in May was sealed until Monday and he was arrested on the charges over the weekend.

Huang remains in federal custody.

He will be arraigned on these charges Tuesday.