Poul Thorsen, a 65-year-old Danish researcher, pleaded guilty to wire fraud on September 1, 2026, stemming from the embezzlement of over $1 million in U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant funds. The funds were part of more than $11 million in grants awarded between 2000 and 2009, designated for research into childhood development, autism, cerebral palsy, and fetal alcohol exposure in Denmark.
Thorsen served as the principal investigator responsible for administering these CDC grant funds, a role he held since 2002. His financial misconduct occurred between February 2004 and June 2008. During this period, Thorsen submitted over a dozen fraudulent invoices, forging the signature of a CDC laboratory section chief to make them appear legitimate.
Aarhus University, under the mistaken belief that the accounts belonged to the CDC, transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to credit union accounts controlled by Thorsen. The diverted funds, exceeding $1 million, were originally intended for scientists at Aarhus University and Odense University Hospital.
Thorsen used the embezzled money for a range of personal expenses, including the purchase of an Atlanta home, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, Audi and Honda vehicles, payment of credit card debts, and cash withdrawals.
The researcher was a fugitive for more than 14 years, having been listed on the HHS-OIG’s top ten most wanted list since 2011. His long flight from justice ended with his arrest in Germany on June 4, 2025, followed by extradition to the U.S. on May 7, 2026. A federal grand jury in Atlanta had indicted Thorsen in April 2011 on 22 counts, which included 13 counts of wire fraud and 9 counts of money laundering.
The fraud came to light in 2010 when Aarhus University discovered a “considerable shortfall” in grant funding. An internal investigation by the university uncovered the forged CDC documents used by Thorsen. Following its findings, Aarhus University filed a police report and cited Thorsen’s unauthorized dual employment as a violation of its policies.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg condemned Thorsen’s actions, characterizing them as a “multi-year fraud scheme” driven by greed, which diverted public funds meant for vital research on infant disabilities and birth defects. Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge for HHS-OIG, stated that Thorsen’s guilty plea reinforces efforts to protect taxpayer-funded health programs and hold accountable those who steal from critical public health research, calling it a “profound betrayal of public trust.”
Thorsen remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service without bail. His sentencing is scheduled for December 1, 2026.