Fugitive Ex-CDC Scientist Who Stole $1 Million in Medical Research Funds Captured

A former medical researcher employed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had been on the run for years while avoiding capture.

Poul Thorsen was accused of stealing approximately $1 million in federal research funds that were intended for important medical studies.

Prosecutors allege that he not only committed the theft, but also tried to conceal the stolen money through money laundering and wire fraud before fleeing. Investigators have now apprehended him, and he faces serious felony charges.

Thorsen embezzaled $1 million in federal research funds. The money had been allocated for studies involving autism, birth defects, cerebral palsy, genetic disorders and other birth-related conditions.

Investigators accused him of stealing the money and then fleeing overseas to avoid arrest. Prosecutors also allege that Thorsen spent the stolen funds on lavish personal purchases. Records of Thorsen’s finances showed a series of purchases, including a home in Atlanta, vehicles made by Audi and Honda, as well as a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Federal prosecutors stated that the CDC awarded grant money to the Danish Medical Research Council for conducting research projects on various disabilities and disorders involving infants. It was from those grants that Thorsen directed a major portion of funds to his personal account.

He hatched a fraudulent scheme to commit the unlawful transfer of funds. It included submitting fake invoices on a CDC letterhead to the various medical facilities associated with the research work.

After transferring the funds to his name, Thorsen simply left the country. He traveled offshore, where he made a string of luxurious purchases. The authorities have now alleged that the researcher used the money obtained to procure more than 60 cashier’s checks.

He was first indicted in April 2011 over 22 fraud and money laundering counts. However, prosecution could not go ahead with arrest and hearings as Thorsen went into hiding in Denmark.

He was ultimately caught by German authorities in June 2025 after officials discovered an active Interpol Red Notice in his records. He was arrested on June 4, 2025.

The effort to extradite Thorsen to the United States became a lengthy legal battle, which he ultimately lost. It was finally on May 7 that he arrived in Atlanta, where he was immediately taken into custody.

The long-pending case against the researcher is now set to move forward after decades of delay. However, questions remain about the timeline of the fraud investigation. It took an unusually long time for authorities to bring Thorsen back to the United States and pursue recovery of money that could have been used for legitimate research purposes.

Prosecutors are expected to argue that the case involves more than financial fraud. They will also seek to show how someone closely connected to medical research was allegedly able to exploit a federal system.