A quiet residential property on the east side of Las Vegas became the focus of a high-level law enforcement investigation over the weekend after authorities uncovered what they believe may have been a clandestine biological laboratory operating inside the home.
According to Fox News, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers, assisted by SWAT and hazardous materials teams, executed a search warrant Saturday following a tip that raised alarms about potentially dangerous activity inside the residence.
During a press briefing on Monday, LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill said investigators recovered more than 1,000 items described as “potential biological and hazardous materials,” most of which were concentrated inside a locked garage.
Authorities stressed that there is no current threat to the public.
Police arrested the property manager, 55-year-old Ori Solomon, at the scene. Solomon was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on charges related to the disposal and discharge of hazardous waste, according to investigators.
McMahill said officers took extensive precautions before entering the home, including deploying a robot to clear rooms, collect air samples, and ensure conditions were safe before personnel moved in.
Inside the garage, investigators found multiple refrigerators containing vials of unidentified liquids, gallon-sized containers filled with unknown substances, a centrifuge, and other laboratory-style equipment.
“Some of that evidence included biological material and liquids that were meticulously collected and sent to FBI labs for testing,” police said in a statement.
Investigators identified the homeowner as Jia Bei Zhu, who is already in federal custody in connection with a separate case involving an unauthorized laboratory discovered in Reedley, California, in 2023.
In that case, federal authorities allege Zhu manufactured and distributed misbranded medical devices — including COVID-19, pregnancy, and HIV tests — without proper authorization, and made false statements to the Food and Drug Administration. Zhu is scheduled to stand trial in April.
Zhu’s attorney, Anthony Capozzi, denied any connection between his client and the Las Vegas discovery.
“He is not involved in any kind of a biolab being conducted in a home in Las Vegas,” Capozzi said. “What went on in that residence we are unaware of.”
The Reedley laboratory previously drew national attention after city officials discovered a covert operation inside a warehouse owned by Zhu’s company, Universal Meditech Inc.
According to a report from the House Select Committee on the People’s Republic of China, Zhu is a citizen of the PRC and a wanted fugitive from Canada.
The committee alleged he maintained close ties to the Chinese government and played a role in a transnational criminal enterprise that stole millions of dollars in U.S. intellectual property.
Officials in Reedley initially launched their investigation after a code enforcement officer noticed a garden hose protruding from the warehouse. Inside, inspectors found extensive lab equipment, medical-grade freezers, and approximately 1,000 transgenic mice allegedly used in disease research.
The FBI is assisting with the Las Vegas investigation, which remains ongoing. Authorities have not disclosed the exact nature of the materials recovered or whether additional arrests could follow.
