• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Agriculture / Man sentenced in seed corn theft case

Man sentenced in seed corn theft case

October 5, 2016 By O. Kay Henderson

GavelA 46-year-old man from China has been sentenced to three years in a federal prison for trying to steal the trade secrets for U.S. seed corn.

Mo Hailong, also known as Robert Mo, pleaded guilty this past January to being part of a conspiracy to steal corn seeds from fields in Iowa and Illinois, then send those seeds back to China.

The patents for the hybrid corn varieties that were targeted are owned by DuPont Pioneer and Monsanto. Mo worked for a company in China that has a seed corn subsidiary and had obtained legal resident status in the U.S.

Stealing the trade secrets from U.S. companies would save the Chinese billions in research and development costs, according to prosecutors. Security for DuPont Pioneer caught Mo digging in a test plot in 2011 and called the FBI.

Prosecutors believe up to six other people, including Mo’s sister, were in on this seed corn caper. A judge ruled prosecutors couldn’t use text messages linked to Mo’s sister and charges against her were dropped. The five others are believed to be living outside the U.S.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Agriculture, Crime / Courts, News Tagged With: Corn & Soybeans

Featured Stories

Jury returns guilty verdict in shooting death of State Trooper

Summit has easements for 20% of carbon pipeline route through Iowa

Morel mushroom hunters on hold without warmer conditions

Trinity Health aquiring all MercyOne health properties

Field of Dreams site developer wants to bid on state baseball, softball tournaments

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 5/16/22

Iowa assistant coach Kirk Speraw to retire

Northern Iowa prepares for Missouri Valley Conference softball tournament

T.J. Otzelberger announces staff changes at Iowa State

Iowa State adds transfer guard

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2022 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC