TITLE: Subgroups of algebraic groups
QUESTION [5 upvotes]: Is anyone aware of a result (or a counterexample) along the following lines: let $G$ be an algebraic group over $\mathbf Z$.  Let $H$ be a finite group such that $H$ occurs as a subgroup of $G(\bar{\mathbf F}_p)$ for all but finitely many primes $p$.  Then $H$ also occurs as a subgroup of $G(\mathbf C)$.
I only really need this for $H$ solvable and $G = \mathrm{GSp}(4)$ if that helps at all.

REPLY [10 votes]: The functor of injective homomorphisms from $H$ to $G$ is represented by a scheme of finite type over $\mathbb Z$ (a locally closed subscheme of the product $G^H$). If this has points over $\overline{\mathbb F}_p$ for infinitely many $p$, then it must dominate $\mathop{\rm Spec}\mathbb Z$, so it has points over $\mathbb C$.