Man receives 2 years of probation for poisoning co-worker’s water bottle
A request by David Xu to have his poisoning conviction dismissed has sparked outrage after he was caught on camera contaminating a Berkeley co-worker’s water bottle. Lawrence Jones and criminal defense attorney Donna Rotunno examined the controversial case, in which Xu received only two years of probation even though the victim reportedly suffered for 18 months. Xu is now seeking to have his record completely expunged.
A University of Wyoming graduate student was arrested after police said she tried to poison a fellow researcher and then attempted to leave for China when investigators questioned her.
Aili Wang, 32, was questioned by campus police after surveillance cameras installed by a co-worker experiencing unexplained medical symptoms allegedly showed her rinsing his mug with liquid from her own cup on Oct. 1. A University of Wyoming police affidavit also said she was recorded “taking photos and manipulating notebooks.”
Wang reportedly had a strained relationship with the unnamed co-worker. Surveillance footage allegedly showed her searching through his desk, where he worked on disease-treatment technology similar to research she had conducted in China.
Aili Wang, 32, a Chinese national and University of Wyoming graduate student, is accused of poisoning a fellow researcher before allegedly attempting to flee to China. Authorities found multiple laptops, electronic storage devices and written materials in her possession when she was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport. (Mark Gomelsky via AP)
The liquid was identified as acrylamide, a chemical that can “cause a number of health problems, including cancer,” according to the American Cancer Society. Authorities said Wang purchased the chemical on eBay. It was discovered after the victim’s wife tested water from the coffee maker he used to brew tea.
During an Oct. 5 interview with campus police, Wang said she “had not used acrylamide in years,” according to court documents. She was arrested the next day, Oct. 6, at Los Angeles International Airport. Prosecutors allege she was attempting to return to China, her country of origin.
At the time of her arrest, Wang had “multiple laptops, multiple portable external digital storage devices, related accessories, physical records and written materials,” prosecutors said in a request to raise her $200,000 bond after she was extradited to Wyoming. The bond was later increased to $1.5 million cash-only.
The affidavit said the victim was involved in federally funded research focused on “new technology for cancer, neurological and genetic disease treatment.” It also stated that Wang had no apparent reason to search through his desk.
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A University of Wyoming graduate student is accused of poisoning a fellow researcher working on federally funded cancer and disease treatments before allegedly attempting to flee to China with multiple laptops and electronic storage devices. (Don and Melinda Crawford/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Mark Gomelsky, a University of Wyoming microbiology professor who supervised both graduate students, described the episode to News Outlet as a “horrifying and surreal experience.”
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Speaking to The Associated Press, he said, “It’s been disheartening, to say the least, to see that one of your student’s life is in jeopardy and another student may be responsible for that.”
“That was one of the worst shocks in my professional career,” Gomelsky said.
Gomelsky said the victim is a highly successful student from Vietnam. He said Wang failed her first dissertation defense and became envious of her colleague’s achievement in developing a way to use bacteria to deliver RNA to human cells.
According to the professor, the victim began experiencing extreme fatigue and an inability to sleep shortly after attending a prestigious conference in August.
Gomelsky said the victim continues to experience symptoms linked to the alleged poisoning, including difficulty focusing.
“Acrylamide is a neurotoxin that cannot be neutralized so it stays in neurons and basically kills them. So it’s unclear if he’ll fully recover or not,” Gomelsky said.
The national flags of China and the United States are seen flying outside a commercial building on March 17, 2026, in Hong Kong, China. (Cheng Xin/Getty Images)
Gomelsky said Wang had not been working in the laboratory since June because she was focused on her dissertation.
Wang was charged with aggravated assault and battery in Wyoming, which carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a $10,000 fine.
Tak Sumaya, an assistant professor at the University of Wyoming who helped identify the chemical allegedly used to poison the male victim, said he was working on “a pretty promising cancer therapy method.”
A University of Wyoming spokesman pointed News Outlet to a statement from its president.
“The university takes matters involving the health and safety of the campus community seriously and remains committed to providing a safe and secure environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors,” University of Wyoming President Shane Reeves said.
News Outlet reached out to Wang for comment.
