Federal prosecutors accused a Temple University professor of selling industry secrets to China.
The justice department charged Xioaxing Xi, 47, with wire fraud.
The Penn Valley, Pennsylvania resident was working for a company that did research on superconductivity during a sabbatical. He's accused of taking their technology, and giving it to China in exchange for a prestigious appointment.
Xi, who was born in China, is world-renowned expert in the field of magnesium diboride thin film superconducting technology. He teaches science at Temple and is the department chair and the Laura H. Carnell Professor of Physics, according to Temple’s website.
That faculty page was taken down Thursday night. The university had no comment on the charges.
Xi faces 80 years in prison and up to $1 million fine if he is found guilty of wire fraud.
