UCF Professor Accused Of Stealing DNA, Research Info
Wednesday, April 6, 2005 – updated: 12:41 pm EDT April 6,
2005
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- A University of Central Florida biology professor has given up his passport after spending nearly two weeks in jail for allegedly stealing DNA.
Police say 33-year-old Singh Meena took eight vials of cloned DNA pieces from a tuberculosis organism that could be used to develop drugs to fight TB. He also took disks with research information on them.
The TB organism is considered as a potential weapon for bioterrorism.
Authorities will now determine what Meena wanted to do with the DNA.
The UCF professor was arrested March 22 on charges of offense against intellectual property, petty theft and obstruction by false information and was held at the time without bail. Police say they arrested him just two days before he planned to leave the country to return to his native India.
"We're in the court process. The federal government's got it as far as immigration's concerned. So, we're at that point now," explained Troy Williams, UCF Police Department.
Meena was ordered in court Tuesday to remain in the Orange County area and surrender his passport.
Copyright 2005 by WFTV.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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