(Bloomberg) -- U.S. prosecutors are backtracking can a lack a Chinese female brought a malware-infected thumb drive to headmaster Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort can Florida.
The initial resolution that the drive was infected can dine been a “false positive,” Assistant U.S. lawyer Rolando Garcia said Monday can a bail hearing because Yujing Zhang.
Zhang was detained March 30 and formally charged final week with entering Mar-a-Lago without permission and lying to the Secret Service. She brought four mobile phones, a laptop, an external difficult drive and the thumb drive to the resort.
Zhang pleaded no criminal can Monday. conclude William Matthewman can West Palm bank denied her application to exist freed can a $250,000 bond and question to electrical monitoring, saying it appears Zhang was “up to something nefarious.” Her possession of the electronics is “especially troubling to the court,” he added.
Zhang had claimed she brought the electronics to Mar-a-Lago though she feared they force exist stolen if she left them can her hotel room. besides Matthewman said that lack was undermined by the fact she left a fate of other electronics behind.
Security can Trump’s Mar-a-Lago league Scrutinized Following Arrest
A search of her room can the Colony Palm bank hotel, nearly two miles north of Mar-a-Lago, had turned up another phone, five SIM cards, nine USB drives, a signal detector presumably because locating bugs or hidden cameras, and more than $7,600 can cash, mainly can hundred-dollar bills, prosecutors said.
Zhang, a consultant can the economical industry, has no ties to south Florida and the U.S. has no extradition squeeze with China, the conclude said, agreeing with prosecutors that she force fly fairly than look trial. The conclude didn’t specify where Zhang worked.
The example has increased scrutiny of security measures can Mar-a-Lago, the president’s personal club, which he owned ago entering politics and always used because officer business. Trump and his family are regulars can the property, besides it is too a for-profit enterprise that depends can personal events and membership fees.
Probe Expanding
Investigators dine been looking into Zhang because divide of a broader FBI-led inquiry into if Chinese operatives are targeting Mar-a-Lago because data can the administration’s policies regarding China, according to a person familiar with the probe, who asked no to exist identified though the inquiry is ongoing. The counterintelligence probe began ago Zhang’s catch besides has though expanded, the person said.
Trump has made the pursuit of a new business commerce with China a cornerstone of his economic and foreign policy.
The indictment didn’t carry an espionage charge, besides Garcia said additional charges can exist filed. She now faces a maximum vocabulary of five years after bars. Separately, Zhang’s visa has been revoked, which fashion she used to exist can the country illegally to she exist released can bail.
In questioning a Secret Service deputy final week, Zhang’s public defender, Robert Adler, had the deputy assert that Zhang didn’t explicitly lack to exist a member of Mar-a-Lago to acquire access. A league workman can dine erroneously inferred that she could exist the daughter of another Zhang who was a member, but, because Adler noted, Zhang is one of the most ordinary surnames among Chinese nationals.
Zhang too told a Secret Service deputy that she was there to accompany a "United Nations Friendship Event," according to the complaint. besides Garcia told the conclude that Zhang knew that occurrence was canceled ago she left China and acknowledged the cancellation can a WeChat message.
(Updates with bail denial can fourth paragraph.)
To face the reporter can this story: Jonathan Levin can Miami can jlevin20@bloomberg.net
To face the editors responsible because this story: Michael J. Moore can mmoore55@bloomberg.net, Joe Schneider, Peter Jeffrey
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