The person at the center of this case
Intellectual property of U.S. seed manufacturing companies (DuPont Pioneer, Monsanto, LG Seeds)
Cold Case · Open - Active FBI Wanted Notice
12 years waiting · since 2013
Li, Shaoming
Justice for Intellectual property of U.S. seed manufacturing companies (DuPont Pioneer, Monsanto, LG Seeds) — the trail went cold in 2013, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1Li, Shaoming is believed to have fled to China or Argentina; he speaks Mandarin and English and is considered an international flight risk
🔍
evidence
Lead #2Stolen corn seed genetic material ('inbred' or 'parent' lines) represents 5-8 years of research and $30-40 million per line in intellectual property value
👤
person
Lead #3Four co-conspirators also charged: Lin, Yong; Wang, Hongwei; Wang, Lei; and Ye, Jian—their current locations and cooperation status unknown
Li, Shaoming is wanted for conspiracy to steal trade secrets from major U.S. seed companies including DuPont Pioneer, Monsanto, and LG Seeds between 2011 and 2012. He and four co-conspirators allegedly stole valuable corn seed intellectual property worth an estimated $30-40 million per line and transported it to China to benefit a China-based seed company. A federal warrant was issued for his arrest on December 17, 2013, and he remains a fugitive believed to have fled to China or Argentina.
Case
#619
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) / U.S. District Court, Southern District of Iowa
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More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
💡
clue
Lead #4The stolen intellectual property was transported to a China-based seed company; identifying the recipient company could reveal Li's network and current location
Have information about any of these leads?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets Caution: From approximately April 2011 to approximately December 2012, Li, Shaoming, Lin, Yong , Wang, Hongwei , Wang, Lei , and Ye, Jian allegedly conspired to steal the intellectual property of several United States-based seed manufacturing companies and transport the intellectual property to the People's Republic of China for the benefit of their China-based seed company. The 5 individuals are alleged to have conspired to steal "inbred" corn seed from Dupont Pioneer, Monsanto, and LG Seeds.
This “inbred” or “parent” line of seed constitutes valuable intellectual property of a seed producer. The estimated loss on an “inbred” line of seed is approximately 5 to 8 years of research and a minimum of 30 to 40 million dollars.
After Li, Shaoming was charged with conspiracy to steal trade secrets, a federal warrant was issued for his arrest in the United States District Court, Southern District of Iowa, on December 17, 2013. Remarks: Li, Shaoming should be considered an international flight risk.
He has possibly visited China and Argentina. Li, Shaoming speaks Mandarin and English.
Timeline of Events
🕵️
2011-04-01
Conspiracy period begins
Alleged conspiracy to steal trade secrets begins approximately April 2011
🕵️
2012-12-31
Conspiracy period ends
Alleged conspiracy period ends approximately December 2012
👤
2013-12-17
Federal warrant issued
Federal warrant issued for Li, Shaoming's arrest in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Iowa for conspiracy to steal trade secrets
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:April 1, 2011
Last Updated:June 14, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:April 1, 2011
Last Updated:June 14, 2026