(José Niño, Headline USA) The federal government has walked away from its prosecution of Ori Solomon, the Israeli citizen arrested in connection with an illegal biological lab operating out of a Las Vegas short-term rental, though a state charge for hazardous waste disposal still hangs over him, according to KTNV Las Vegas.
The station reported that federal prosecutors dismissed Solomon’s case without prejudice, a designation that permits them to bring charges again in the future. He remains subject to a Clark County criminal charge related to improperly discarding hazardous materials.
The matter traces back to an investigation launched after local and federal authorities discovered what officials described as an unlicensed biological laboratory inside a home Solomon oversaw near Washington Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard, as KTNV reported. The search yielded suspected biological substances and laboratory apparatus.
KTNV reported that authorities arrested Solomon during their probe of the illegal facility. The federal counts against him originated from a search of his personal residence on January 31, 2026, which uncovered multiple guns. As an Israeli citizen in the country on a non-immigrant visa, federal law prohibits Solomon from having firearms. An affidavit reviewed by KTNV stated that investigators removed several weapons from his home.
The individual who owns the property housing the suspected lab, Jia Bei Zhu, recently received a guilty verdict for fraudulently selling more than a million COVID tests for close to $4 million via his Fresno company Universal Meditech Inc., per KTNV. His conviction stemmed from a separate illegal lab operation in California.
The decision to drop Solomon’s charges drew a sharp response from journalist Ryan Grim, who observed on X, “So the feds are dropping charges against the Israeli citizen caught in Las Vegas with an illegal biolab, after he was caught in LA with an illegal biolab.”
So the feds are dropping charges against the Israeli citizen caught in Las Vegas with an illegal biolab, after he was caught in LA with an illegal biolab https://t.co/4KAU8mbNNB
— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) May 26, 2026
Solomon’s next court date is June 4 at Las Vegas Justice Court for his remaining state charge.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
