The trial of nine people charged in a case involving a teenager who sold his kidney to purchase an iPad and iPhone concluded in a Chinese court on Friday, according to state media.
The defendants included the surgeon who allegedly removed the kidney from the 17-year-old, identified only by his surname, Wang, and eight others who are accused of helping to plan and carry out the scheme.
The verdict would be announced at a later date, state-run Xinhua reported.
'Gambling debts'
Prosecutors in the Beihu District of Chenzhou, Hunan province, have accused defendant He Wei of arranging the transplant last year via Internet chat rooms. He was described by Xinhua as "penniless and frustrated over gambling debts."
Chinese man wakes up — minus his kidney
The doctor, Song Zhongyu, from a provincial hospital in Yunan province, allegedly transplanted Wang’s kidney to a recipient in April 2012, Xinhua said. Wang later suffered renal failure, the report said.
The defendant earned a little under $9,000 in the deal, Xinhua said. Another defendant, Su Kaizong, the contractor of the urology department of the hospital, earned around $9,500; Song, the surgeon, earned a little over $8,000; and other defendants involved in the scheme earned lesser amounts, Xinhua said.
Read more about China on Behind the Wall from NBC News
Wang, the young patient, was given around $3,500 upon leaving the hospital, according to the news service.
The incident came to light after Wang returned home and his mother demanded to know where he got the money to pay for an iPhone and iPad, Xinhua said. At that point, Wang confessed, Xinhua said.
Among the others arrested were two nurses, a surgical assistant and an anesthesiologist, Xinhua said.
China puts cops on trial for 'bending the law' to help wife of ousted politician
After the indictment was read in court on Thursday, Wang's attorney requested about $356,000 in compensation, the news agency said.
July 20, 2011: Several fake Apple stores have been popping up abroad, in locations such as China and Ecuador. The stores have all the characteristics of a legitimate Apple outlet, except they're not owned by the tech giant. Brian Williams reports.
The British Broadcasting Corp. said the defendants face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.
A first: More cheers than jeers at new Apple product debut in China
Huge popularity
Apple products are extremely popular in China, but their price tags tend to be too high for most workers to afford.
Products such as the iPhone and the iPad have quickly become must-have accessories for the country's youth and business elite in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.
From 2011: Entire fake Apple shop found in China
Last year, the Cupertino, Calif., company's chief financial officer was quoted as saying that of all the Apple outlets in the world, the China stores clock on average the highest traffic and highest revenue.
More world stories from NBC News:
- Day at Olympics well worth $1,000 for family of four, NJ fans say
- Afghan suicide bomber kills senior Army leader, 2 majors
- Notorious Colombian druglord arrested, headed to US for trial
- Who'll win the gold medal for partying? Olympians let hair down
- 'Situation is desperate' for ill Syrian refugees in Turkey
- One year after London riots, a family still grapples with fallout
- Video: This $4000 per jar caviar boasts socialist roots
- Are these German protesters the world's oldest squatters?
- Journalist: British militants took me hostage in Syria
- Canada lobster fishermen lash out at cheaper US exports
- Race to London's Olympic Park: Fastest way is ...?


Wow...just wow.
It was his kidney. He can do whatever he wants with it. I'm not seeing the problem here.
You are 'one short of a six pack' Give it a rest!
I should think the fact that the young donor is dead would be a problem.
Still, I can't help wondering how he was going to pay for an upgrade in a few years.
It was his choice. Not my problem it was a bad choice. Darwinism strikes again.
Should have stuck with the Samsung Galaxy and a Kindle Fire. Talk about showing how expensive the iProducts truly are. I'm heading out now to schedule my iSurgery to have my iKidney removed so I can get my iPad, iPod and iPhone. Hope I don't feel any iRegret or have any iComplications during my iRecovery.
Aye.
What's wrong with these people, you sell a kidney for a HD flatscreen, not an Ipad
Agree with Give it a rest. Keep your laws off his body! It is the illegality of the sale that forced him into a back alley kidney transplant. Had it been legal, his death would most likely had been avoided as it could have been performed in a hospital. I doubt any of you that are so aghast at the procedure have adopted any kidneys.
@Browns Backer - Why would anyone buy a Kindle Fire now that the Nexus 7 has launched? I mean seriously?
@Give it a rest -- "It was his kidney. He can do whatever he wants with it. I'm not seeing the problem here."
The problem is he is a minor 17 year old child, idiot.
Hey "Give it a rest!": Don't get any ideas about selling your brain for an iPad. You could probably buy a cheap calculator, but that's about all.
fgh-1038628
You are 'one short of a six pack' Give it a rest!
I would sure hope so, don't want to be wasting bood beer.
"The problem is he is a minor 17 year old child, idiot."
Well, really? Who's the idiot here? No wonder kids don't have any accountability nor any sense of responsibility.
ipeed is better than ipad...wang that's just wong...
Personal attacks are against the Newsvine code of honor. Where is Tyler?
And PS, he would be a minor in the US. But he isn't in the US. This happened in China. He's probably been working 40 hours a week for the last ten years.
HA! Code of honor on this board? Why bother. With all the crap posted on here.. what honor is there to protect?
But really, what I'm curious about.. is where in the article did it say the kid died?
Why should this dumbass kid think he is entitled to 350k because he was stupid to sell his kidney?His Iphone and Ipad were probably knockoffs anyways.
it didnt say he died it said he went into renal failure. which means dialysis then transplant or death... his own fault for selling the kidney in the first place. allthough personally i would be far more inclined to let someone have one of my kidneys if i got a payday for it, but since selling organs is illegal i will keep all of mine.
i peed is way better than ipad...don't swap a kidney kids...for magic kidney beans...
I know it didn't say he was dead.. lol
I wouldn't sell organs for money, personally.
No offence, but really? We can't say anything at all here because I watched absolute pandemonium break out last year around the all-star game when Nike was releasing a new sneaker in the Orlando store. The price was exorbitant and even in this recession, people were causing issues starting at like 3 am. Dude, seriously, it was a shoe. While the ipad and iphone may seem like the end all be all in status symbols, who in their right mind would lose a kidney and go through that kind of pain for one? I'm guessing the kid has some serious mental issues going on as well.
I think the "doctors" and their little helpers should hang. IMHO
I remember that. I sold my iPad so I could buy the shoes.
I seriously doubt this kid did this just for an iphone and ipad. That kind of money probably isn't easy to get in China.
First time I attended black firday last year, I saw old ladies frighting over $2 towels and mothers figthing over those emo dolls. Unbelieveable, it's like fighting over rationed food or something.
Everybody talks about how evil the corporations are for excessive profiting from sales. Perhaps now is the time to discuss how excessive profits would be impossible without buyers who have more money than brains. (Or kidneys, in this case.)
Fixed that for you.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say the vast majority of iPhones sold - at least in the U.S. - are on credit plans most people can scarcely afford. Of course, that holds true for other phones as well.
I often wonder how many people pull out a credit card to pay the $149+ for a phone, which is only a partial price that locks them into a credit contract to subsidize the rest of the phone, in essence paying getting in debt to be able to get into more debt...
Captiosus, I see where you're going, but don't completely agree. Yes, you are letting the carrier subsidize the cost of buying the handset in exchange for promising to use their services for two years. The thing is that I'm going to be using the carrier's services anyway, why not take advantage of the offer to discount whatever phone I feel like getting? Then when the contract comes up, I reevaluate if the current carrier is still meeting my needs and switch if I need to. If your personal situation is in such a state of flux that you can't commit to that, there are other options like prepaid phones.
I do agree that there are a lot of people who are irresponsible with their financial planning with regards to things like cell phones, HBO subscriptions, home electronics, etc., but I wouldn't go so far as to say that people buying smartphones are going into debt with one purchase that's only going to bring more debt. That statement sounds more apt for someone purchasing a boat...
Did I read the Engrish correctly that the boy late(r) suffered kidney failure? That'll teach him...
Lol. You can read.... lol
You can read, at better than they can write it seems. Spellchecker is not a replacement for proof reading - or is it?
Maybe you need to read the article again. It was not a back alley job as you said in a previous post, I was performed in a hospital. Also the article did not say he died, just that he suffered kidney failure. It doesn't mean he died.
Quoting you: "Had it been legal, his death would most likely had been avoided as it could have been performed in a hospital."
I will not stand idly by and let facts get in the way of sarcasm.
I had to have a kidney removed, it wasn't a fun surgery. Very painful and quiet tender for a long time.
Is the Iphone still working? JK
Guess not.
No one can afford a phone, but Wang's attorney now wants to be paid $356,000!
And it was a little difficult to follow this story, but it appears Wang is no longer enjoying his iPhone, since he's no longer with us! The only one that made out is the attorney!
I don't know why his attorney wanted so much money. I heard he already has an iPhone and iPad. Maybe he didn't get his Nike shoes yet.
Steve, huh? since he's no longer with us? I know these reporters are print article first check facts later, but it didn't say he died.
What do you think the results of renal failure will be stupid?
um ... dialysis.
A lifetime on dialysis until a new kidney could be located? Of course this is dependent on his ability to get health care. So it could go one of two ways. Considering he sold a kidney because he had no money, it is likely he couldn't afford the bills of combating renal failure.
Why would the lawyer be trying to get 356,000 for 'Wang', if he were dead? It would be for his family.
I didn't read anywhere in the article that the kid died.....just that he suffered renal failure.
So I take it the phrase "it will cost you an arm and a leg" needs to be updated to be more anatomically correct?
No just wait until the Ipad 4 is released.
I'm actually more suprised that the Chineese haven't made their own cheaper knockoff yet.
They do, it's just not worth the kidney.
One day the worker will want for what he makes for the west.
That day will come soon and China will never be the same.
......this is where we know there has to be more to our existence than this life......the adults, the educated, the law are whom I fault here......wow! Just, wow!
Sick----Sick----Sick!!
You couldn't give me an i anything, let alone pay for it with a body part. Of course I guess workers committing suicide at the factory should be an indication that the Chinese will do anything for Apple.
Absolutely hysterical.
One, these people should be in jail because this was a child. I think it's fine for adults to get paid for live organ donations. Everyone else gets paid, why not the one who's selling the most valuable product.
I keep seeing people saying that the kid died - but I don't see that in the article at all. It says he went into renal failure, but that doesn't mean he died... it just means that he now needs a kidney transplant too or will be on dialysis for the rest of his life.
Did I miss something?
No, but you must be new to the vine. People don't read past the first few paragraphs before making assumptions, and some don't even bother past the headline. Worst of all, most don't even comprehend what they read.
most just look at the picture in articles... then do a quick scratch and sniff then go to posting comments...
Need to stop reading the news - What the H is this world coming to....
And they say!!!!!! I have been in heated discussions about how Video games, You-Tube, Computers, Cell Phones, how this is having an effect on young people, how these things like Video games, is turning our young people into Zombies, Crazy kids, Killers!!!!. People would say to me, you cannot blame technology on the way kids are today, YOU CANNOT BLAME VIDEO GAMES, REALLY!!!, they think that nothing is wrong with a kid sitting in his room 24/7 playing a video game, killing people, robbing people, that this has no effect on them, ARE YOU FREAKING OUT OF TOUCH OR WHAT, this does mess them up, and they have killed because of it, just go on line and read the stories. The last story that I seen involving kids and video games was these kids playing some game that teaches you how to be a Pimp, they were actually getting real girls and pimping them out, another game was Bully, you could learn how to be a Bully in this game, JUST GREAT!!!. People in this country just love that over 200 year old document called the Constitution that backs the right for these bad Video games to be allowed in this country, it also allows young girls, and teens to pose in lingerie in underware, for on line young model sites, there are web sites for building bombs, building meth labs, how to make Meth, how to join the KKK, all backed by the wonderfull Constitution. People in this country need to wake up, and please do not blame the Parents, young people will find a way to do what they want!!!., The police would rather bust some guy picking up a hooker, or bust a group of people in there basement playing poker for a few dollars because this is Illegal, they would rather do this instead of putting a stop to the real problem in this country, picking up hookers or gambling in your basement should not be Illegal, big deal!!! it's Illegal because the government does not make money off of it, but it is not Illegal to play games where the main point of the game is to kill, it's not Illegal to look at almost naked young girls and teens on line, it's not illegal to go on line and learn how to build a bomb, sell drugs, join a hate group like the KKK, Cmon man!! what make sence to you, this country is backwards. You cannot play poker for money but if you want to join a violent gang like the crips no problem!!, if you want to put on a sheet and burn a cross no problem!!! but you better not pick up a hooker, that's bad!!!.
Too bad there's not something online to show us how to get you to shut up! Get a job.
Well, duh...
You're not supposed to let kids play games like that. That's why the games have a rating on back.
It's called pesonal responsibility, which is sadly lacking in today's society. If I go out, gun down some people, and then blame it on all the violent video games I played as a kid it doesn't give me a free pass. It's not like the game put the gun in my hand, loaded the bullets, then pulled the trigger. I would have to make a conscious choice to commit such actions.
All you herp-a-derps that like to point the finger anywhere but at yourself for your mistakes should be shipped off to a deserted pacific island and left to rot.
I wouldn't mind being shipped off to some remote Pacific Island for a while :)
To Smoot-I do have a job making 6 figures, and I do know what I'm talking about when I say that technology is having an effect on young people, just go on line and read the stories, kids go crazy after playing Video games, kids beat up other kids and film it for you tube, kid kills parents for taking away his video games, kid kills other kid and takes his video game, kid kills other kid for beating him in a video game, DO I NEED TO GO ON. People do not say like you did above that the kids should not be playing these games because they have a rating on the back, you must be living in a closet, the stores will sell these to the kids, if not the kids will find a way to get the game, a friend, an older brother, sister, AND DO NOT BLAME THE PARENTS THEY CANNOT WATCH WHAT THERE KIDS DO ALL DAY LONG, LET'S SAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, OR WHEN THEY ARE AT WORK, OR IF THEY SPEND THE NIGHT AT A FRIENDS HOUSE, wake up people.
Just think.. he can always sell the other kidney when the next iPhad releases!
this is really wrong. it happens in many places especially where there are very poor people.
It would make more sense if a person chose to sell their iphones/ipads to help pay for an operation, not the other way around. How long before we see body-parts traders selling through the stock market? (Please don't tell me that this is already the case!) :{
As @Give It A Rest! said above, it was his kidney. Maybe we should do that here in the US as wall. Let people sell their body parts to the highest bidder. Don't have a job? Need food and shelter? Sell a kidney. Maybe even both kidneys. And your liver, too. Put the resulting money into a trust for your family and then die. They can sell the rest of your oprgans for even more money. And some rich dude gets a new liver that he can destroy with drink and drugs. And then buy another one.
Capitalism in action! And it would help resuce the surplus of the unemployed.
After all, that should be your right.
(God, I hope people can recognize sarcasm, but I'm making it clear in this paragraph.)
Sarcasm or not you do have a valid point.
I wouldn't sell my kindney for anything less than a 4 bedroom house in a nice neighborhood.
Stupid communists. They could have sold that kidney for a lot more here in the states. Ever hear of Fed Ex?
Yes to Fed Ex. They would have probably thrown it over the Great Wall and damaged it.
That's why the good Lord gave you two.
I thought this would be about someone in America and it will probaby happen here in a few days. Sometimes we can't even be first at being stupid!
This is beyond horrible.