Chinese student who threatened fellow democrats was sentenced to nine months in prison | Wu Xiaolei | Internet stalking | Berklee College of Music

[The Epoch Times, April 25, 2024](Reported by Epoch Times reporters Liu Jingye and Lin Yan in Boston) Xiaolei Wu, a Chinese student at the Berklee College of Music, was arrested on Wednesday (April 24) for threatening and harassing Chinese students at the same school who support democracy. Japan) was sentenced to nine months in prison in Boston, three years of supervised release, and subsequent deportation.

Boston Federal Court Judge Denise Casper announced the ruling on Wednesday in the case of Wu Xiaolei for threatening democrats. Wu Xiaolei will report to prison on June 7. After serving his sentence, he will be deported and will not be allowed to return to the United States without special approval from the Department of Homeland Security.

On January 25, the jury found Wu Xiaolei guilty of two counts of “cyber stalking” and “interstate dissemination of threatening information.”

The sentence was lower than prosecutors’ recommendation, which recommended a sentence of 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release. But at the same time, the verdict was higher than the demands of the defendant’s lawyers, who asked for release and then self-departure.

The judge said that although Wu Xiaolei’s crime occurred within a limited period of two days, its purpose was to prevent the victim from expressing his voice in support of democracy. At the same time, Wu Xiaolei also harassed the victim and encouraged others to harass the victim.

Wu Xiaolei came to the United States on a student visa. After his arrest, the court confiscated his passport. He has complied with the terms of his bail and has not contacted the victim directly or indirectly.

The judge stated that the sentencing was based on Wu Xiaolei’s behavior and the importance of the sentence in protecting more Chinese students and citizens in the United States from being intimidated.

25-year-old Wu Xiaolei was a student at Berklee College of Music and was arrested by the FBI on December 14, 2022.

Zoey, a Chinese international student, posted flyers near the school in October 2022, saying “Be with the Chinese people”, “We want freedom”, “We want democracy”, etc. After Wu Xiaolei learned about it, he threatened the classmate on the Internet many times.

Wu Xiaolei posted a message on the WeChat group of Chinese students and alumni of Berklee College of Music, asking Zoey to tear down the flyer and saying that he had reported her to the Chinese Communist Party’s public security agency.

On October 22, 2022, Wu Xiaolei threatened to chop off Zoey’s hands in a WeChat group and threatened to report her so-called “reactionary poster” to the CCP.

At that time, some members in the group agreed, but others called for a private resolution. Zoey said these comments made her feel extremely scared and worried for her family in China. She could not sleep for two days.

Later, Zoey saw the email Wu Xiaolei sent her, mentioning that she would report her to the Chinese Communist Party’s public security, and also disclosed her school email and residential address. Zoey believed Wu wanted to continue harassing her and encouraged others to join in. She then reported it to the school and demanded action.

The school subsequently issued a no-contact order requiring both parties to refrain from contacting each other while the school investigates. Later, the school suspended Wu Xiaolei for one year.

Zoey testified in court that she felt extremely frightened by Wu’s threats and moved away from her original address.

The prosecutor demanded a heavy sentence, accusing Wu Ganzhong of being a pawn of the CCP’s censorship and suppression

At Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors said Wu Xiaolei’s crimes were serious and that he weaponized the authoritarian nature of the Chinese government and used it to harass and threaten his victims.

Prosecutors said Chinese authorities repeatedly visited Zoey’s father in China to harass her, just as Zoey feared.

In the prosecutor’s view, although Wu Xiaolei’s specific actions may not have been taken under the guidance of the Chinese Communist authorities, “he still identified himself as part of China’s (Chinese Communist Party) censorship and repression network” that has deep roots in the United States and deep within the country. The relationship network between Chinese Americans and their families in Mainland China.

Prosecutors said Wu Xiaolei showed a clear lack of remorse and suggested that the verdict in the case would require “strong and universal deterrence.”

On the day he was found guilty in January, Wu Xiaolei seemed unfazed by the verdict. As he left the courthouse, he gave reporters the middle finger.

The prosecutor stated that there were several reasonable reasons to request that Wu Xiaolei be sentenced to 33 months in prison. The first is his rhetoric itself. The rhetoric was violent, involving death threats and even words like “chop your hands.”

Prosecutors said these were not idioms made in the heat of the moment, but were carefully designed to induce fear in the victims.

Second, the defendants threatened and harassed Zoey not just because they opposed her democracy, freedom, and views on China. Wu Xiaolei wanted her to be silent, and at the same time ensure that people like Zoey were afraid to speak out.

Third, as part of an effort to silence Ms. Zoey, Wu Xiaolei threatened to report her behavior to the Chinese government.

In a series of posts on October 23, 2022, Wu Xiaolei said, “I have called the domestic whistleblower hotline, and the public security department will visit your family.”

Prosecutors said the defendants not only issued threats but also brought threats from the Chinese government to the victims. His purpose is to make the victims so fearful that they dare not raise objections to the Chinese Communist government again.

Report to my mother who is an official in China to list my classmates as key figures

On October 24, 2022, two hours after Berklee College of Music police issued a no-contact order, Wu Xiaolei reported Zoey’s behavior to his mother.

His mother serves as a Chinese government official. The call lasted about 14 minutes, and then he sent her a screenshot of Zoey’s WeChat ID. His mother responded: “Evidence is needed to prove harm to the country.” Wu then provided screenshots of Zoey’s social media posts, including flyers and other content critical of the Chinese government.

During the call with his girlfriend, he said: “I ended the call with my mother. Now my family wants me to collect evidence. Let her go through China (Chinese Communist Party) customs first, and then my family will find someone to report to the Ministry of National Security, and she will be arrested Listed as key persons of concern.”

According to Zoey, in March 2023, a National People’s Congress deputy told her father that Zoey was responsible for Wu Xiaolei’s arrest. After the official’s visit, her father persuaded her to drop the lawsuit.

In the same month, two more people from Beijing asked her to “minimize the outcome of Wu Xiaolei’s trial.” Then in May, another Chinese government official came to persuade Zoey’s father to drop the case on behalf of Wu Xiaolei’s father. Zoey’s father told her he believed Zoey’s continued involvement in the case could put him in danger.

Prosecutors said Zoey felt unable to return to China safely because of the case and the defendant’s actions.

Defendant lawyers try to use cultural conflict to reduce sentence

Wu Xiaolei’s attorney, Michael Tumposky, argued that he should not be punished more severely because he did not plead guilty.

Tumpolsky described Wu Xiaolei as a young man who loved jazz and worked hard to get into his dream school, but his future was ruined because of two days of “immature” behavior.

Lawyers sought to frame the issue as related to Wu Xiaolei’s “cultural clash between his highly protected upbringing in communist China and the democratic norms of the United States.”

Wu Xiaolei himself read a statement in court and apologized multiple times.

“I regret it every day,” he said. “I have to take responsibility and learn from what I did. The first step is to say ‘I’m sorry.'”

Both Tumpolski and Wu told The Epoch Times they had “no comment” as they left the court.

Editor in charge: Sun Yun#