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