Feds: LI men charged with stalking, harassing Americans who criticize China

Two Long Islanders and three others suspects are facing federal charges for allegedly conspiring with Chinese government and political officials to stalk and harass Chinese dissidents, including a U.S. military veteran and Tiananmen Square demonstrator who had announced a run for Congress on Long Island.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District Breon Peace on Wednesday outlined three alleged transnational repression schemes involving a mix of U.S. citizens and Chinese nationals who allegedly embarked upon "harassment and smear campaigns" against anti-Chinese Communist Party activists and, in effect, "imported the PRC government's repressive policies onto U.S. soil."

In two of the schemes, according to Peace, the defendants conspired directly with members of the Chinese government's Ministry of State Security, a civilian intelligence and secret police agency responsible for counterintelligence and political security.

"All of these victims were targeted because of their pro-democracy views, because they chose to exercise their freedom of speech here in the United States," said Peace during a news conference in Washington, D.C.

The congressional candidate who was targeted was not named in the criminal complaint but matches the description of Yan Xiong, who last year announced his candidacy for New York's 1st Congressional District. Incumbent Lee Zeldin is not seeking reelection to Congress as he runs for governor.

Xiong, a retired U.S. Army chaplain who was a student leader in the Tiananmen Square democracy demonstrations, said in a phone interview Wednesday, hours after returning from a trip to Ukraine to pray with those fleeing the war, that he was "surprised" he was targeted.

"I want to run for Congress to continue to work for our country and our community and our district; it has nothing to do with them," said Xiong, 57. "Why they do that? It's the most ridiculous thing."

Xiong, a Democrat, said that after a 10-month move to Nassau County, he's now moved back to Brooklyn and will seek a congressional seat there.

Qiming Lin, 59, of China, is charged in connection with trying to prevent Xiong's candidacy.

According to authorities, starting in September 2021, Lin hired a private investigator to "disrupt the campaign of a Brooklyn resident currently running for U.S. Congress … including by physically attacking the victim."

Lin told the private investigator, according to federal prosecutors, "Right now we don’t want him to be elected. … Whatever price is fine. As long as you can do it."

Lin suggested trying to entrap the candidate in a prostitution scandal, telling the investigator, according to authorities: "go find a girl … Or see how he goes for prostitution, take some photos, something of that nature."

In December 2021, Lin allegedly proposed physical violence, prosecutors said, citing a voicemail purportedly left by Lin for the investigator.

"You can start thinking now, aside from violence, what other plans are there? Huh? But in the end, violence would be fine too. Huh? Beat him [chuckles], beat him until he cannot run for election. Heh, that’s the-the last resort. You-you think about it. Car accident, [he] will be completely wrecked [chuckles], right?"

Lin is a citizen and resident of the People's Republic of China and works on behalf of the PRC, authorities said.

The two defendants from Long Island are Fan "Frank" Liu, 62, of Jericho, the president of the Congress Web TV Station and World Harmony Foundation, and Matthew Ziburis, 49, of Oyster Bay, who previously lived in Ocala, Florida, and was a correction officer for the state of Florida and also worked as a bodyguard. Both men were arrested Wednesday.

Liu and Ziburis are accused of trying to bribe an IRS official to get a copy of the tax return of a Southern California-based sculptor who spoke critically of the Chinese government. The pair also allegedly conspired to place a GPS tracking device on the artist's vehicle and tried to destroy one of the artist's sculptures.

During his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge James Cho, Liu said through a Mandarin interpreter: "I deny all the allegations."

Liu was ordered to be released on $1 million bond with electronic monitoring and is prohibited from visiting the PRC Consulate and from traveling outside Long Island or New York City. Ziburis was released on a $500,000 bond with electronic monitoring and restricted travel.

Also charged in the scheme was Quiang "Jason" Sun, 40, a Chinese resident who works at an international technology company and who "directed" Liu and Ziburis.

Attorneys for Liu and Ziburis did not respond to phone messages seeking comment.

Another defendant, Shujun Wang, 73, of Flushing, Queens, a former visiting scholar and author who helped start a pro-democracy organization in Queens, has since at least 2015 used his position to disseminate information about dissidents to the Chinese government, prosecutors said.

Wang was ordered released on $300,000 bond with electronic monitoring, during his court appearance. He's also restricted from having contact with the PRC Consulate or from traveling outside Long Island, the five boroughs or Connecticut.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew Olsen, speaking at a news conference with Peace at the Justice Department headquarters in Washington, said authoritarian regimes such as China "feel emboldened" to strike out against dissidents. He said prosecuting these allegations is a "national security imperative."

"These cases expose attempts by the government in the People's Republic of China to suppress dissenting voices within the United States that demonstrate how the PRC seeks to stalk, intimidate and silence those who oppose them," Olsen said.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.