wsj.com
Woman Who Trespassed at Mar-a-Lago Gets Eight Month Sentence
Byron Tau
3-4 minutes
The case has highlighted potential security vulnerabilities at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in Florida. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
A Chinese woman was sentenced to eight months in prison on Monday after being
convicted in September on charges unlawfully entering President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
U.S. District Judge Roy Altman handed down the sentence against Yujing Zhang at a hearing in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Ms. Zhang, 33, was
arrested in March after trying to enter the grounds of Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
She will also be subject to two years of supervised release after she has served her time in prison, though as a Chinese national she is likely to also be subject to removal from the U.S. after serving her sentence
The president was staying at Mar-a-Largo at the time of her entry attempt—highlighting the security vulnerabilities of one of Mr. Trump’s favorite escapes from Washington.
Passport photo of Yujing Zhang. Photo: TNS/Zuma Press
At the time Ms. Zhang attempted to enter Mar-a-Lago, she was carrying two passports, four cellphones and
other electronics. One of the cellphones was hidden inside a Faraday bag, a pouch designed to shield the phone from receiving electronic signals and that is often used to evade tracking, according to prosecutors. Investigators found more electronics in her hotel room, including a device used to detect hidden cameras.
Prosecutors insinuated the case could have broader national-security implications in a classified submission to the judge; but, ultimately, Ms. Zhang was only convicted of unlawful entry and of making false statements to the U.S. Secret Service. She was never charged with any espionage-related offense.
Ms. Zhang was initially assigned a public defender, who said she was trying to attend a networking event at Mar-a-Lago. Over the summer, the judge granted Ms. Zhang the right to drop the public defender and
represent herself at her trial, which occurred in September.
The recommended guidelines for Ms. Zhang’s offense were up to six months in prison, but prosecutors had asked for 18 months citing the nature of the offense and the need to deter similar crimes.
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