The person at the center of this case
Dupont Pioneer, Monsanto, and LG Seeds (intellectual property theft)
Cold Case · Open - Federal Warrant Active
12 years waiting · since 2013
Li, Shaoming
Justice for Dupont Pioneer, Monsanto, and LG Seeds (intellectual property theft) — the trail went cold in 2013, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1Li Shaoming speaks Mandarin and English; has possibly visited China and Argentina since fleeing the U.S.
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evidence
Lead #2What specific inbred corn seed samples or genetic material were successfully stolen and transported?
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person
Lead #3What was Li Shaoming's role and relationship to the other four co-conspirators (Lin Yong, Wang Hongwei, Wang Lei, and Ye Jian)?
Li Shaoming is wanted by the FBI for his alleged role in a conspiracy to steal valuable corn seed intellectual property from major U.S. agricultural companies between 2011 and 2012, with the stolen trade secrets intended for a China-based seed company. The conspiracy involved the theft of proprietary inbred corn seed lines from DuPont Pioneer, Monsanto, and LG Seeds, each representing approximately 5-8 years of research and $30-40 million in value. Li Shaoming fled the United States after being charged in December 2013 and is believed to have traveled to China or Argentina, making him a significant international flight risk in this ongoing trade secrets case.
Case
#619
FBI Counterintelligence Division; 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.
📍
location
Lead #4Which specific agricultural research facilities or seed storage locations were targeted for the thefts?
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contact
Lead #5What communication methods and intermediaries were used to coordinate the conspiracy between U.S. and China-based operatives?
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
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2011-04-01
Conspiracy Period Begins
Alleged conspiracy to steal corn seed intellectual property begins approximately April 2011
🕵️
2012-12-31
Conspiracy Period Ends
Alleged conspiracy period concludes approximately December 2012
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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:April 29, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:April 1, 2011
Last Updated:April 29, 2026