Fugitive Danish Researcher Pleads Guilty to Stealing $1M in CDC Autism Grant Money After 14 Years on the Run

ATLANTA — A Danish researcher who spent more than 14 years as one of the U.S. government’s most wanted fugitives pleaded guilty Wednesday to orchestrating a wire fraud scheme that stole over $1 million in CDC grant money intended for autism research — funds he used to buy a Georgia home, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and luxury vehicles.

Poul Thorsen, 65, of Denmark, entered his guilty plea to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee. He faces sentencing on December 1, 2026, and remains in federal custody without bail.

Thorsen had been on the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s “Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list since 2011 after a federal arrest warrant was issued on April 13 of that year. He evaded capture for over a decade by remaining in Denmark until his arrest in Germany on June 4, 2025. German authorities held him in custody until his extradition to the United States on May 7, 2026.

From 2000 to 2009, the CDC’s Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities awarded more than $11 million in grants to two Danish governmental agencies to study the links between autism and vaccine exposure, cerebral palsy and maternal infection, and childhood development and fetal alcohol exposure. Thorsen, who had worked as a visiting scientist at the CDC when the grant applications were solicited, became the principal investigator responsible for administering the funds in 2002.

Prosecutors said Thorsen systematically stole the grant money by submitting fraudulent invoices to Aarhus University and Odense University Hospital, where scientists were conducting research under the grants. Between February 2004 and June 2008, he submitted over a dozen fake invoices that led Aarhus University to transfer hundreds of thousands of dollars to credit union accounts the university believed belonged to the CDC — but which were actually Thorsen’s personal accounts.

Thorsen used the stolen proceeds to purchase a home in Atlanta, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and Audi and Honda vehicles. He also withdrew tens of thousands in cash, paid off personal credit cards, and transferred funds to other accounts. In total, he diverted and received more than $1 million of CDC grant money.

“Poul Thorsen ran a multi-year fraud scheme to cheat the CDC, diverting valuable federal grant money to service his greed and inflated lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “His fraud was especially reprehensible because he stole public funds that had been earmarked for research related to infant disabilities and birth defects. After evading justice for more than 14 years, Thorsen will finally be held accountable in a federal prison cell and ordered to pay full restitution to the CDC.”

“Today’s guilty plea represents an important step toward holding accountable those who steal taxpayer dollars intended to advance critical public health research,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge for the HHS Office of Inspector General. “HHS-OIG remains committed to protecting HHS program funds, and we will continue to pursue anyone who attempts to exploit these resources for personal gain.”

Thorsen’s guilty plea concludes a pursuit that spanned three countries and more than a decade. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2026, before Judge Boulee in Atlanta federal court.

Missouri Childcare Operator Indicted for $75K COVID Relief Fraud Scheme

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for defrauding a state program that distributed federal COVID-19 relief funds to childcare providers, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Yolanda Dale, 52, faces two counts of theft of government funds and two counts of aggravated identity theft, according to a four-count indictment that was unsealed following her initial court appearance. The indictment had been filed under seal on Aug. 27.

Court documents allege that in March 2023 and July 2023, Dale prepared and filed applications for federal funding through a State of Missouri program established to provide relief to childcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program, funded through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, distributed federal dollars based on the number of employees each provider had during specific pandemic-related periods.

Also alleged was that Dale fraudulently inflated the number of individuals employed at the childcare center she operated when filing the applications. As a result, the center received at least $75,000 in federal funding to which it was not entitled.

“This is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said in a statement.

Alabama Man Sentenced to Probation for Role in ‘Lean’ Conspiracy with Virginia Doctor

ABINGDON, Va. — An Alabama man who served as a driver for a scheme that illegally distributed promethazine-codeine solution — commonly known as “lean” or “purple drank” — was sentenced to one year of probation Tuesday for his role in a conspiracy involving an Annandale-based physician.

Cameron Zackery Brown pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a Schedule V controlled substance, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia announced.

According to court documents, between 2023 and 2024, Brown conspired with Dr. Rotimi Adegoke Illuyomade and others to acquire and distribute promethazine-codeine solution by fraud. Brown, who knew co-conspirators Kenechukwu Okwara and Cameron Lewis from high school, drove them to Illuyomade’s office at Crossover Medical Center in Annandale and to pharmacies across multiple states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, to fill fraudulent prescriptions.

In exchange for his driving services, Brown received cash payments and transfers via CashApp, Apple Pay, or Zelle.

The investigation began on Sept. 2, 2023, when co-conspirator Raymono Russell attempted to pick up a fraudulent promethazine-codeine prescription transmitted by Illuyomade at a pharmacy in Honaker, Virginia. Russell was arrested, and a search of his vehicle revealed multiple controlled substance prescription bottles in various patient names, all from Illuyomade and filled at pharmacies in Roanoke, Radford, Tazewell, and Floyd, Virginia.

“Doctors who violate their professional duty and betray the public trust to illegally distribute controlled substances will be held accountable in the Western District of Virginia,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert N. Tracci. “I wish to thank the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Virginia State Police, Russell County Sheriff’s Office, Salisbury Police Department, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Police, HHS-OIG, and the Food and Drug Administration for their assistance on this case.”