Autism researcher extradited from Germany to face federal charges of stealing CDC grant money

ATLANTA - Poul Thorsen, a Danish researcher who was one of the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General's top ten most wanted fugitives, was arraigned today on federal wire fraud and money laundering charges after his extradition from Germany.

"Poul Thorsen allegedly stole more than $1 million in federal grant money by submitting fabricated invoices and diverting funds to his personal bank accounts," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "International fugitives who think they can avoid responsibility for serious federal crimes by living overseas are wrong. Due to the unwavering persistence of my office and our law enforcement partners, Thorsen has been extradited to the United States and will face justice in federal court."

"Thorsen is alleged to have diverted more than a million dollars designated for critical public health and autism research. These funds were entrusted to advance scientific understanding and support children and families; instead, these tax dollars were exploited for personal gain, a serious breach of law and profound betrayal of public trust," said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. "Thorsen's extradition reinforces a core principle: individuals who are accused in an indictment of defrauding the American people and misusing federally funded research will be pursued wherever they flee. HHS-OIG, alongside our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the integrity of federal programs and ensuring that those who steal from the public are held accountable."

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: From 2000 to 2009, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, awarded over $11 million to two governmental agencies in Denmark to study the relationship between autism and exposure to vaccines, between cerebral palsy and infection during pregnancy, and between childhood development and fetal alcohol exposure. In 2002, Thorsen, who had worked as a visiting scientist at the CDC when it was soliciting the grant applications, became responsible for administering the research money awarded by the CDC.

Thorsen allegedly stole more than $1 million of the CDC grant money by submitting fraudulent documents to the Danish government, Aarhus University, and a Danish hospital where scientists performed research under the grant. From February 2004 through June 2008, Thorsen allegedly submitted over a dozen fraudulent invoices, containing the forged signature of a CDC laboratory section chief, that falsely claimed a CDC laboratory had performed work and was owed grant money. Based on these invoices, Aarhus University transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to CDC Federal Credit Union accounts the university believed belonged to the CDC. In truth, the credit union accounts were personal accounts held by Thorsen. After the money was transferred, Thorsen allegedly withdrew the fraudulent proceeds for his own use, obtaining cashier's checks and buying a home in Atlanta, a Harley Davidson motorcycle, and Audi and Honda vehicles.

A federal magistrate judge issued an arrest warrant after a grand jury in Atlanta indicted Thorsen on April 13, 2011, but Thorsen evaded apprehension for nearly 14 years by remaining in Denmark. On June 4, 2025, Thorsen, 65, was arrested in Passau, Germany, pursuant to an INTERPOL Red Notice based on the April 2011 arrest warrant.

Earlier this year, Germany agreed to extradite Thorsen to face trial on two counts of wire fraud and nine counts of money laundering. On May 7, 2026, Thorsen was flown to the United States in federal custody. He was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Elizabeth McBath and will be held without bail pending further proceedings.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government's burden to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen H. McClain is prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.