Bo Jiang, the suspected Chinese spy who was pulled off a plane on March 16 just as it was preparing to fly him out of the country, downloaded more than just classified NASA documents and sensitive information, as revealed by Bloomberg.
Actually, let’s back up a bit. Did he actually possess classified NASA documents and state secrets?
In late March, US Magistrate Judge Lawrence Leonard released Jiang from custody ”after a federal prosecutor acknowledged there is no evidence so far that he possessed any sensitive, secret or classified material.” So the answer, at least legally, is no. Jiang’s lawyer, Fernando Groene, called the proceedings a “witch hunt” to which Jiang was made a “scapegoat.”
So what do prosecutors have on him? Bloomberg:
Bo Jiang, who was indicted March 20 for allegedly making false statements to the U.S., was charged yesterday in a separate criminal information in federal court in Newport News, Virginia. Jiang unlawfully downloaded copyrighted movies and sexually explicit films onto his NASA laptop, according to the court filing. A plea hearing is set for tomorrow.
Let’s reiterate here that the “making false statements to the US” reportedly did not stick. His trial was scheduled for May 29, but “along with the misdemeanor, the government said it had resolved the false statements case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg said in a filing today,” according to Bloomberg.
It’s not clear how it was resolved. But prosecutors are obviously desperate if they’re now charging Bo Jiang with possessing “unlawfully downloaded copyrighted movies and sexually explicit films.” It’s like going after Al Capone with tax evasion, except nothing at all like it: violating agency computer usage policy is only a misdemeanor.
A plea hearing is set for tomorrow. The worst that will now happen to the 31-year-old Jiang, it appears, is a loss of face. Possession of porn. We hope his mother never finds out.
Chinese NASA Spy Suspect to Plead to Computer Rule Charge (Bloomberg)