He was likely prosecuted because his relationship with colleagues in China soured to the point where they were threatening to make him pay back everything he had been paid. He mentioned in an email to colleague that he was not content to let them use him so he would use them instead. He speculated that someone in China who did not like him ratted to the NIH. This seems more like a punishment for biting the hand that feeds and you know China has little mercy who do not meet their blackmail rules. Lieber's attorney is Marc Mukasey, long-time family friend of Rudy Guiliani and has defended Trump publicly. This is less boom and more CCP revenge carried out by the DOJ.