Shujun Wang, 75, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Chinese descent, an academic and author who helped start a pro-democracy organization in Queens, New York, that opposes the current communist regime in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was convicted today on all four counts of an indictment charging him with acting and conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the U.S. Attorney General, criminal use of identification and making false statements to law enforcement.
“This defendant infiltrated a New York-based advocacy group by masquerading as a pro-democracy activist all while covertly collecting and reporting sensitive information about its members to the PRC’s intelligence service,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s verdict demonstrates that those who would seek to advance the Chinese government’s agenda of transnational repression will be held accountable.”
“The indictment could have been the plot of a John LeCarre or Graham Greene spy novel, but the evidence is shockingly real that the defendant led a double life, pretending for years to be an activist for democracy while he was secretly passing information to the Chinese government,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “The defendant was a perfect stooge for the PRC, a well-known academic and founder of a pro-democracy organization who was willing to betray those who respected and trusted him. When confronted with his shameful conduct, Wang lied to the FBI, but today’s verdict revealed the truth of his crimes and now he will face the consequences.”
“This conviction underscores the FBI’s commitment to countering espionage schemes by holding those accountable who collect U.S. activist information for the benefit of China,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “Any support for transnational repression is unacceptable, and the FBI works diligently with its partners to seek out and bring to justice those who support such activities.”
Wang is one of the founders of the pro-democracy Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang Memorial Foundation, an organization located in Flushing, Queens, whose members are well-known pro-democracy dissidents who oppose the current government of the PRC. But instead of promoting democracy in China, Wang used his position within this foundation at PRC officials' direction to collect information about prominent activists, academics and dissidents which he reported back.
According to court documents since at least 2006 Wang operated under control from four officials from China's Ministry State Security (MSS). He gathered information on people/groups considered subversive by PRC like Hong Kong democracy protestors or advocates Taiwanese independence among others both domestically abroad; conducted face-to-face meetings during trips received taskings via encrypted messaging app memorializing collected info through email "diaries" accessed MSS containing details private conversations activities human rights organizations recovered approx 163 entries written fellow co-defendants possessing telephone numbers contact info belonging dissidents.
Wang made materially false statements federal law enforcement denying contacts between himself any individuals associated Chinese intelligence agency multiple interviews spanning period 2017-2021 including one instance JFK International Airport after returning trip falsely claiming no governmental connections nor possession relevant contact data.
Following week-long trial co-defendants Feng He Jie Ji Ming Li Keqing Lu remain large scheduled sentencing Jan 9th next year facing potential maximum sentence up twenty-five years prison federal district judge determining outcome considering Sentencing Guidelines statutory factors involved case prosecuted Assistant Attorneys Ellen Sise Nina Gupta Eastern District Trial Garrett Coyle Counterintelligence Export Control Section