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Yujing Zhang: Woman who sparked alarm at Mar-a-Lago found guilty | Yujing Zhang: Woman who sparked alarm at Mar-a-Lago found guilty |
(32 minutes later) | |
A Chinese woman has been found guilty of trespassing at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and of lying to a federal agent. | |
Yujing Zhang, 33, was arrested in March and was found carrying several electronic devices. | |
She faces up to six years in prison when she is sentenced in November. | |
Zhang, who acted as her own lawyer, maintained her innocence during her closing arguments, telling the court: "I did nothing wrong." | |
Her trial in Florida saw several odd moments. Despite the judge's attempts to persuade her otherwise, Zhang fired her public counsel, choosing to represent herself. | |
She often appeared not entirely comfortable speaking in English, was also accused of pretending not to understand proceedings. | |
On Monday, Zhang arrived in court in her jail uniform instead of civilian clothes, complaining she had not been provided with undergarments. Judge Altman allowed her to change before the trial began. | |
What happened at Mar-a-Lago? | |
Zhang was arrested on 30 March at the president's club carrying two Chinese passports, a computer and four mobile phones, among other devices, agents said. | |
She was also initially accused of carrying a device loaded with malware, but agents rescinded that claim. | She was also initially accused of carrying a device loaded with malware, but agents rescinded that claim. |
Zhang had told security at Mar-a-Lago that she was there to go to the pool, and later told a receptionist she was there for a United Nations event that prosecutors argued she knew had been cancelled, according to court documents. | Zhang had told security at Mar-a-Lago that she was there to go to the pool, and later told a receptionist she was there for a United Nations event that prosecutors argued she knew had been cancelled, according to court documents. |
"Due to a potential language barrier issue," staff believed she was related to a club member and let her in, the documents said. | "Due to a potential language barrier issue," staff believed she was related to a club member and let her in, the documents said. |
Zhang told agents she had been instructed by a friend, identified only as "Charles", to travel from Shanghai, China, to Palm Beach to attend the purported United Nations event, but did not provide any more details. | Zhang told agents she had been instructed by a friend, identified only as "Charles", to travel from Shanghai, China, to Palm Beach to attend the purported United Nations event, but did not provide any more details. |
She said "Charles" had encouraged her to attempt to speak to a member of the president's family about Chinese-American economic relations, according to an affidavit. | She said "Charles" had encouraged her to attempt to speak to a member of the president's family about Chinese-American economic relations, according to an affidavit. |
Despite the guilty verdict the trial did not establish why exactly she was at President Trump's resort. | |
Mr Trump was in Palm Beach at the time of her arrest, though he had been staying at Mar-a-Lago that weekend. | Mr Trump was in Palm Beach at the time of her arrest, though he had been staying at Mar-a-Lago that weekend. |
Prosecutors said among the electronics Zhang possessed were numerous USB drives and a device that could detect secret cameras. | |
She initially told agents she did not want to leave the items at her hotel out of fear they would be stolen, but police later found around $8,000 (£6,500) in cash and more electronics in her hotel room. |