A former West Virginia University professor pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges in the Northern District of West Virginia on Thursday.
Dr. Qingyun Sun, of Morgantown, admitted he defrauded WVU and filed a false tax return, with both offenses related to official travel to China, according to U.S. Attorney Bill Powell.
“We find this behavior unacceptable and cooperated fully with federal officials as soon as it was brought it to our attention,” WVU Director of Communications April Kaull said. “Dr. Sun has not been a WVU employee since early this year.”
Sun, a Chinese National, was employed by WVU as an associate director and associate director of the United States-China Energy Center, according to Powell.
As part of his job, through the WVU development office, he acted as the governor’s assistant for China affairs and he was employed by Synfuels Americas Corp., an energy conversion technology provider of coal-to-liquids and gas-to-liquids processes located in Sterling, Va., but headquartered in Beijing, China, Powell said.
“From July 2011 to May 2015, Peabody Energy Generation Holding Co. based in St. Louis, Mo., paid consulting fees to Energy United LC, a consulting business Sun established in 2005. The scheme involved Sun’s operation of his consulting business through Energy United,” Powell said.
Sun went to China in 2015 on behalf of WVU and the WVU development office to prepare for an upcoming visit to the country by WVU representatives and to lead a state industrial delegation for a coal expo in Beijing, Powell said.
He booked both coach and business class flights for the trip and requested reimbursement from Synfuels Americas for the business flight and reimbursement from WVU for the coach flight. He only used the business class ticket, Powell said.
A joint tax return Sun filed with his wife grossly overstated his business-related travel expenses because a large part of them were paid for with a state purchasing card or reimbursed by WVU and Peabody Energy, Powell said.
“He also failed to state any financial interest in, or authority over, a financial account in a foreign country,” Powell said. “Sun had an interest in numerous financial accounts in China.”
As part of his plea, Sun will pay $6,233.12 in restitution to WVU, according to Powell.
Sun faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for his wire fraud conviction and up to three years with a $250,000 fine for tax fraud.
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