The 64-year-old Chinese national was found guilty on all 12 counts after a two-week Sacramento trial over more than one million faulty kits sold from Fresno-based Universal Meditech.
Prosecutors said the tests were falsely marketed as FDA-approved, US-made and lab-certified, though many lacked basic components, while employees testified they were told to mislead customers and regulators.
The case drew added scrutiny because Zhu was linked to a now-shuttered Reedley biolab; authorities said this prosecution was separate, his partner remains a fugitive, and sentencing is set for August.
How did regulatory failures and global supply chain weaknesses enable Zhu’s multimillion-dollar COVID-19 test fraud to go undetected for years?
What hidden dangers remain if illegal biolab networks like Zhu's are still operating undetected across the U.S.?