LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Several people became ill as a result of an illegal biolab at a Las Vegas home that was also being used as an Airbnb, according to documents obtained by 8 News Now investigators Tuesday.
Metro police and the FBI searched the Sunrise Manor home on Saturday, Jan. 31, and found a “possible biological laboratory,” including a “refrigerator containing vials containing an unknown liquid,” police said.
Ori Solomon, 55, faces a felony charge of disposing or discharging hazardous waste, according to state court records, first reported by 8 News Now Investigators. Federal prosecutors filed documents seeking gun charges against Solomon late Monday.
An LLC linked to the home’s county records matched the name of a company that is part of an ongoing federal case involving a biolab in California, 8 News Now Investigators first reported Sunday. In that case, David He, a Chinese citizen with potential ties to the Chinese Communist Party, faces federal charges for allegedly manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices at a warehouse in Reedley, California, according to federal prosecutors.
In early January, the FBI received a tip about laboratory equipment and medical waste at a home on Sugar Springs Drive that was consistent with the California BioLab, documents say. The tipster said Solomon contacted a house cleaner to clean the home, which was also a short-term rental.
At a news conference Monday, Metro Police and the FBI shared video from the garage showing officers confiscating vials of liquid and rummaging through boxes.
Another person inside the home reported that the garage was always locked, documents state. One person also reported to investigators that there were three refrigerators in the garage and the room smelled “like a hospital — not like a clean hospital, but more like a foul, stale, stagnant air smell.”
A few days after entering the garage, the two became “gravely ill” and “unable to get out of bed,” documents state. An informant also told police there were “a lot of dead crickets” in the house and that several people were sick.
Video from Metro Police shows officers and the investigation inside what appears to be a Las Vegas biolab. (left ventricular pressure difference)
On Jan. 9, the FBI contacted an individual with the Southern Nevada Health District about a facility on Charleston Avenue “where medical equipment was allegedly being stored but was never discovered,” the document said. Through its investigation, SNHD discovered a possible connection between the device and Ridley Biolabs.
The state received an application to establish the laboratory in April 2023. Police suspect equipment at the Sugar Springs home was moved from a shuttered Charleston laboratory.
His wife, Wang Zhaoyan, left the United States for China while her husband was under federal indictment, the documents said. However, police suspect Wang had access to the cameras monitoring the Sugar Springs Drive home.
He has been in federal custody since his arrest. In January, he contacted Solomon 467 times and his wife 3,524 times, documents show. He directed Solomon to manage his estate and transfer money to him while awaiting trial, according to investigators.
In the Ridley case, investigators found “pathogen-labeled containers” labeled “dengue fever,” “HIV” and “malaria,” along with 1,000 rats, according to a federal report.
After the Las Vegas attack, police detained Solomon and charged him with violating hazardous waste laws. The charges relate to improper storage and disposal of hydrochloric acid.
Prosecutors said Solomon was in the U.S. on a non-immigrant visa and “knowingly possessed” multiple firearms, including rifles and handguns, the documents said. Solomon’s immigration status prevents him from owning any firearms.
State and county records show Solomon’s last name is Solomon, and federal prosecutors also refer to him as “Solomon.”
Las Vegas Metro Police provided a photo of 55-year-old Ori Solomon. (LVMPD)
Records show Solomon has lived in Clark County for decades and remained in custody as of Tuesday night. He appeared briefly in federal court on Tuesday, where a judge postponed his preliminary hearing until Friday.
Samples from Sunrise Manor are being tested.
More charges may be filed against Solomon. It was unclear Tuesday whether the property was an actual Airbnb or a regular short-term rental. Neither He’s attorney nor a representative for Airbnb responded to requests for comment.
You can contact 8 News Now Investigator David Charns at dcharns@8newsnow.com.
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