Berkeley engineer sentenced after video shows long-term cadmium poisoning of coworker
David Xu, a metallurgist at Berkeley Engineering and Research, was convicted for secretly contaminating colleague Rong Yuan’s food and water with cadmium from 2017 to 2019.
Between 2017 and 2019, metallurgist David Xu covertly added cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, to the food and water of his coworker Rong Yuan at Berkeley Engineering and Research. Yuan experienced debilitating health problems, multiple hospital visits, and feared a terminal illness, while Xu falsely blamed mold in the office. After Yuan emailed colleagues about severe vomiting on Nov. 27, 2018, Xu responded with a nonchalant suggestion to work from home and claimed the building was “moldy.”
The poisoning was exposed when Yuan placed a hidden camera on her desk, capturing Xu altering her water bottle, prompting his March 2019 arrest on attempted murder and poisoning charges. Xu was released on $2 million bail, later pleaded no contest to a single felony count, received two years of probation, served one day in jail, and was ordered to pay $7,058 in restitution despite Yuan seeking nearly $500,000. He completed probation in March and is now seeking expungement of the conviction under California law.
Why it matters
The case highlights workplace safety risks and the challenges of prosecuting covert chemical attacks.
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