Yuji Zhang, a Chinese national detained by the U.S. Secret Service at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in March, was reportedly convicted of trespassing and lying to federal agents in Florida federal court on Wednesday.
Zhang faces up to six years in prison, according to CNN. She was detained March 30 after being allowed into the club, mistaken for a relative of a member. While she initially said she had come to the South Florida property to swim, once inside she said she was attending a nonexistent event for Chinese American business leaders.
{mosads}”She lied to everyone to get onto that property,” U.S. Attorney Ronaldo Garcia told jurors during his closing statement Tuesday, CNN reported.
At the time of her arrest, Zhang had four cellphones, a flash drive, a laptop and an external hard drive. Federal prosecutors initially said the flash drive contained malware but have since backtracked from the claim.
Prosecutors argued it was clear that “anyone with common sense” would have understood they were entering a restricted area, presenting photographs of signs identifying security details and checkpoints on the property as well as messages from a person in China telling Zhang not to go to Mar-a-Lago because the event she had hoped to attend had been canceled.
The Secret Service said Zhang had also been carrying multiple Chinese passports, thousands of dollars in cash and a device used to detect hidden cameras.
Zhang continued to insist she had not lied, speaking alternately for herself and through court-appointed Mandarin translators, according to CNN.
“I followed the instruction. I went into the Mar-a-Lago to have a visit. So that’s what I want to say, and thank you for your attention,” Zhang told jurors.