FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
U.S. Citizen and Four Chinese Intelligence Officers Charged
with Spying on Prominent Dissidents, Human Rights Leaders and Pro-Democracy
Activists
The Defendants Allegedly Conspired to Silence Critics of the
People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the United States and Abroad
A U.S. citizen and four officials from China’s Ministry of
State Security (MSS) were charged in an indictment, unsealed in federal court
in Brooklyn yesterday, with conspiracy and other charges related to an
espionage and transnational repression scheme.
According to court documents, Wang Shujun, 73, of Queens,
New York; Feng He, aka Boss He, of Guangdong; Jie Ji, of Qingdao; Ming Li, aka
Elder Tang and Little Li, of Guangdong; and Keqing Lu aka Boss Lu, of Qingdao,
allegedly participated in an espionage and transnational repression scheme in
the United States and abroad. Wang was arrested on March 16, pursuant to a
criminal complaint, and will be arraigned at a later date. He, Ji, Li and Lu
remain at large.
“We will not tolerate efforts by the PRC or any
authoritarian government to export repressive measures to our country,” said
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s
National Security Division. “These charges demonstrate the Justice Department’s
unwavering commitment to hold accountable all those who violate our laws in
seeking to suppress dissenting voices within the United States and to prevent
our residents from exercising their lawful rights.”
“As alleged, Wang acted as a covert intelligence asset in
his own community, spying on and reporting sensitive information on prominent
pro-democracy activists and organizations to his co-defendants, who are members
of the Chinese government’s Ministry of State Security,” said U.S. Attorney
Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s indictment exposes
and disrupts an operation by the PRC that threatens the safety and freedom of
Chinese nationals residing in the United States on account of their
pro-democracy beliefs and speech. Our office and our law enforcement partners
will remain vigilant to thwart foreign espionage activities aimed at our
citizens and residents.”
“If anyone doubts how serious the Chinese government is
about silencing its critics, this case should eliminate any uncertainty,” said
Acting Executive Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s National
Security Branch. “The Chinese government’s aggressive tactics were once
confined to its borders. Now, the PRC is targeting people in the United States
and around the world. The FBI and its partners remain committed to combatting
transnational repression.”
According to court documents, Wang is a well-known academic
and author who helped start a pro-democracy organization in Queens that opposes
the current communist regime in China. However, as alleged, since at least
2011, Wang has used his position and status within the Chinese diaspora and
dissident communities to covertly collect information about prominent activists
and human rights leaders on behalf of the MSS and PRC. As alleged in the
indictment, He, Ji, Li and Lu acted as Wang’s handlers, directing Wang to
target specific individuals and groups that the PRC considers subversive, such
as Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, advocates for Taiwanese independence, and
Uyghur and Tibetan activists, and obtain information on particular topics and
matters of importance to the MSS.
As alleged in the indictment, Wang communicated and provided
information to the MSS, including to He, Ji, Li and Lu, by using encrypted
messaging applications and emails, as well as during face-to-face meetings in
the PRC. Wang would often memorialize the information he collected in email
“diaries” to be accessed by the MSS. These “diaries” included details about
Wang’s private conversations with prominent dissidents, as well as the
activities of pro-democracy activists and human rights organizations. A search
of Wang’s residence incident to his arrest revealed approximately 163 “diary”
entries Wang wrote to He, Ji, Li and Lu and other MSS officials.
For example, in one series of communications on or about
Nov. 22, 2016, Ji instructed Wang to interface with a particular attendee at an
upcoming pro-democracy event and to “accomplish the task” assigned by the
“Boss,” referring to Lu. Ji noted that the attendee of interest had contacts
with “Tibetans, Uyghurs and Mongolians” and wished Wang luck at getting “good
results.” In another exchange on or about Nov. 16, 2016, Wang informed Li
that he “just finished chatting” with a prominent human rights activist, noting
that he asked the “necessary questions” and received “candid” answers. Li
responded “great” and with a thumbs-up emoji, instructing Wang to write it in a
“diary.” At least one Hong Kong democracy activist and dissident that Wang
reported on to the MSS, identified as “Hong Kong Dissident #1” in the
indictment, was subsequently arrested by the PRC.
In addition to this conduct, the indictment alleges that
Wang transferred and possessed telephone numbers and contact information
belonging to Chinese dissidents to the MSS, as well as making materially false
statements to federal law enforcement, falsely denying that he had contacts
with PRC officials or the MSS.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Artie McConnell of the Eastern
District of New York is prosecuting the case with valuable assistance from
Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s
Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants
are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court
of law.
Topic(s):
Counterintelligence and Export Control
National Security
Component(s):
Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI)
National Security
Division (NSD)
Press Release Number:
22-526
Updated May 18, 2022
U.S.
charges 1 American, 4 Chinese officials with spying
New York man accused of collecting info on dissidents and
activists for Beijing
WASHINGTON
(Reuters) -- A U.S. citizen and four Chinese intelligence officers have been
charged with spying on Chinese dissidents, human rights leaders and
pro-democracy activists residing in the United States, the Department of
Justice said on Wednesday.
The
indictment alleges Wang Shujun, of Queens, New York, used his status within
Chinese diaspora and dissident communities to collect information about
activists on behalf of China's Ministry of State Security (MSS).
Wang,
73, was arrested on March 16 and will be arraigned at a later date, the Justice
Department said. The four MSS officials, whom the department named as Feng He,
Jie Ji, Ming Li and Keqing Lu, are still at large, it added. The indictment was
unsealed on Tuesday in a federal court in Brooklyn.
Representatives
for Wang were not immediately reachable for comment. China's embassy in
Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"Today's
indictment exposes and disrupts an operation by the PRC that threatens the
safety and freedom of Chinese nationals residing in the United States on
account of their pro-democracy beliefs and speech," U.S. Attorney for the
Eastern District of New York Breon Peace said.
Wang
has provided information to the MSS since at least 2011, the indictment
alleges. The MSS officials directed Wang to target Hong Kong pro-democracy
activists, advocates for Taiwanese independence and Uyghur and Tibetan
activists, it says.
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