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Kseniia Petrova, a Russian-born researcher at Harvard Medical School, has been indicted on new charges related to the alleged smuggling of frog embryos into the United States. A federal grand jury in Boston charged Petrova on Wednesday (June 25) with concealment of a material fact, making a false statement, and smuggling goods. Initially charged in May, she was stopped at Boston's Logan Airport in February after returning from France due to customs paperwork irregularities concerning frog embryo samples for research.
Petrova, who was conducting cancer research, was detained in Louisiana and faced deportation to Russia, despite expressing fears of persecution for opposing the invasion of Ukraine. Released on bail in May, she returned to Massachusetts to face federal charges. Petrova maintains that she did not realize the need to declare the items and was not attempting to smuggle them.
If convicted, Petrova could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for smuggling, along with up to five years and a $250,000 fine for the other charges. Her colleagues at Harvard have expressed dismay over her treatment, emphasizing her invaluable expertise. Petrova described her detention conditions as overcrowded and harsh. Despite the new charges, she remains on pretrial release.