A Berklee College of Music student was found guilty of stalking and threatening a fellow student advocating for democracy in China, a Boston federal jury ruled today. Xiaolei Wu, 26, a Chinese national, faced charges after launching a chilling campaign against an individual for posting pro-democracy fliers near the college campus.
Following a four-day trial, Wu was convicted of one count of cyberstalking, and one count of interstate transmissions of threatening communication, with the sentencing set for April 24, the Department of Justice reported. The initial arrest came in December 2022, after which, Wu was indicted by a grand jury the next month. According to Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, "No one in this country should ever be subjected to threats of violence or a cyberstalking harassment campaign for expressing their political views."
The controversy began on October 22, 2022, when the victim displayed fliers bearing slogans such as "Stand with Chinese People" and "We Want Freedom." Wu's retaliatory threats via WeChat, email, and Instagram against the activist were severe enough to hint at physical violence, including a message stating, "Post more, I will chop your bastard hands off." He further intimidated the victim by informing them of reporting their actions to the Chinese public security agency, which would “greet” the victim's family in China.
Moreover, Wu's intimidation efforts included soliciting assistance to discover the victim's residence, exposing their email address online for potential harassment, and even reporting the said information to a Chinese government representative, the FBI detailed. Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI's Boston Division, remarked, “What Xiaolei Wu did in attempting to silence and intimidate an activist who expressed dissension with the ruling Communist Party of China is not only criminal, but completely against our country’s democratic values.” She affirmed that such infringement of freedom of speech will inevitably lead perpetrators to face legal repercussions as seen in Wu's conviction.
Each charge against Wu carries a potential maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines amounting to $250,000. The sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes. The case, signaling a strong stance against encroachments on free speech, was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section Trial Attorney Menno Goedman.
