Danish Doctor Pleads Guilty to Defrauding U.S. Research Funds

Danish researcher and physician Poul Thorsen has pleaded guilty to defrauding more than $1 million in U.S. research funds, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

The money came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is why the case was heard in Georgia, where the CDC is headquartered. Thorsen admitted using some of the funds to buy a house in Atlanta, where his wife and son live.

Thorsen was extradited from Germany to the United States in May and appeared before an Atlanta judge the same afternoon. His U.S. defense lawyer requested his release, saying defendants in financial crime cases are usually allowed to remain free on bail.

The judge rejected the request. She cited the fact that Thorsen had no assets in the United States that the court could use as security. Bail also could not be granted if he lived in a household with firearms. His son and his son’s fiancée live in Atlanta, and the fiancée is a police officer, meaning there are weapons in the house. Thorsen has therefore remained in pretrial detention.