Lawyers for XiaoFeng Wang, a renowned cybersecurity expert fired by Indiana University the day his homes were searched by the FBI, told WFIU/WTIU News that Wang and his wife Nianli Ma have not been arrested and are safe.
The story has received national attention, including questions about the couple’s whereabouts and safety. Neither Wang nor Ma has been heard from publicly since last Friday’s raids at their homes in Bloomington and Carmel.
Attorney Jason Covert of Taft Law added in a statement that the Indiana couple is grateful for support received from colleagues at IU and other universities.
“They look forward to clearing their names and resuming their successful careers at the conclusion of this investigation,” he said.
Ma was a systems analyst and programmer for IU libraries. IU has removed Wang’s and Ma’s profiles from its website.
Read more: Fired prof accused of research misconduct, FBI involvement unclear
According to his Taft Law profile, Covert previously worked with the federal government as a white-collar prosecutor and specializes in federal regulation and criminal justice.
Wang and Ma are also represented by another former federal prosecutor, Taft Law’s Jackie Bennett Jr. His specialties include internal corporate investigations, foreign corrupt practices and contract and business tort actions.
Read more: Faculty group says IU violated policy when firing professor
Neither IU nor federal law enforcement has commented beyond acknowledging the FBI search.
