Ontario university student pleads not guilty in U.S. court amid Chinese 'espionage' probe
FBI says Weiheng Zeng accepted paid 'taskings' from unidentified Chinese contact
asserted
Zeng → plead → contact
An Ontario university student has pleaded not guilty in a U.S. federal court in a case a prosecutor described as involving "espionage-type activities."
asserted
prosecutor → plead → activities
Weiheng (Billy) Zeng, a Chinese citizen studying at the University of Waterloo, is charged with making false statements following an FBI counter-intelligence investigation.
asserted
Zeng → study → investigation
He was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Detroit on Monday, according to public records reviewed by CBC News.
uncertain
He → arraign → News
Court documents say Zeng was questioned by U.S. federal agents as he tried to enter Michigan on Aug. 23 after crossing the Ambassador Bridge from Windsor, Ont.
asserted
he → say → Windsor
After three interviews, Zeng ultimately admitted accepting paid "taskings" on behalf of someone he believed was linked to the Chinese government, FBI special agent Robert Holbrook wrote in a sworn affidavit filed in court.
asserted
Holbrook → admit → court
Weiheng Zeng was arrested at the U.S. border in Michigan in August and charged with making false statements, amid an FBI counter-intelligence investigation.
asserted
Zeng → arrest → investigation
On Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Anthony P. Patti scheduled a bond hearing for next week.
asserted
Patti → schedule → week
A federal grand jury indicted Zeng last week on a single count of making false statements to U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.
asserted
jury → indict → agents
The move indicates jurors found there are reasonable grounds to believe a crime has been committed.
asserted
crime → indicate → ?
Reached by CBC News last week, Zeng's Detroit-based lawyer William Swor declined to comment on the case.
asserted
lawyer → reach → case
Zeng allegedly paid by 'Chinese contact'
A self-described "photography lover" studying global business and digital arts, Zeng first raised U.S. authorities' suspicions in April, after an incident captured on security video at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, according to the FBI's criminal complaint.
uncertain
Zeng → pay → complaint
At the time, FedEx employees spotted a man taking photos, climbing a forklift and attempting to open a locked delivery truck and a shipping container in the company's parking lot at the Chicago airport, the FBI agent said in the court document.
asserted
agent → spot → document
When he attempted to re-enter the U.S. in August, Zeng provided conflicting reasons for trespassing and taking pictures.
asserted
Zeng → attempt → pictures
He initially told federal agents it was solely for hobby photography, according to the criminal complaint.
uncertain
it → tell → complaint
The FBI said in a criminal complaint an unidentified man was captured on security video at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on April 21 taking photos of aircraft.
asserted
man → say → aircraft
The incident was later linked to Zeng.
asserted
incident → link → Zeng
He later admitted the operation was carried out at the request of a shadowy "Chinese contact" who Zeng said he couldn't identify by name, but said he believed they worked for a Chinese government security agency.
asserted
they → admit → agency
According to court documents, Zeng told investigators his unnamed contact directed him to photograph aircraft and tail numbers, in exchange for $20-30 US per picture.
uncertain
contact → accord → picture
The criminal complaint also says Zeng recounted trespassing and taking pictures last year at a FedEx facility at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, at the request of the same, unidentified individual.
asserted
Zeng → say → individual
The allegations amount to "espionage-type activities," prosecutor Alyse Wu said at a previous hearing in Detroit.
asserted
Wu → amount → Detroit
Zeng, who lives in Cambridge, Ont., also outlined to investigators a convoluted system he purportedly used to communicate with the unnamed individual, who paid him via bank transfer in Chinese yuan.
asserted
who → live → yuan
The "Chinese contact" would mail Zeng a new SIM card every four to five months, which he was directed to use in his Huawei cell phone, according to the criminal complaint.
uncertain
he → mail → complaint
"Zeng, at the direction of 'Chinese Contact,' would subsequently destroy the SIM cards, delete the conversations, and delete the photos he took," wrote Holbrook, the FBI agent.
asserted
Holbrook → destroy → photos
"The SIM card, which was from China Telecom, allowed Zeng to by-pass Canadian cellular network and connect directly with the Chinese provider network to send text messages to 'Chinese Contact.'"
asserted
Zeng → allow → Contact
A Chrysler Town & Country minivan with Ontario licence plates was seen in a FedEx parking lot at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on April 21, according to an FBI criminal complaint.
uncertain
minivan → see → complaint
Weiheng Zeng purportedly tried to re-enter the U.S. in August in the same vehicle.
asserted
Zeng → try → vehicle
Chinese Embassy, Zeng's sister deny allegations
A Chinese Embassy spokesperson previously sought to distance the government from Zeng's case.
"The Chinese side firmly opposes hyping up the so-called 'China spy threat' and baseless speculations and smears against China," an unnamed spokesperson for the embassy in Ottawa told CBC News in an email in September.
asserted
spokesperson → deny → September
Zeng's sister denied her brother was knowingly involved in espionage for Beijing.
asserted
brother → deny → Beijing
"If my brother is a Chinese spy, then I'm Trump's father," Meixuan Wang wrote in a social media post in September.
asserted
Wang → write → September
The Aporia
