A Southern California real estate agent charged with acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government is asking a federal court to let her out of custody while her case moves forward, offering more than $800,000 in property equity and family guarantees to back up her request.
The Bail Request
Wanying Zhang, 34, of Irvine, was arrested Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport as she prepared to board a flight to China. She faces a federal charge of acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. On Wednesday, her attorney, Craig Harbaugh, filed a nine-page motion arguing she should be released under strict conditions, disputing prosecutors' view that she is a flight risk.
The defense package includes an Irvine home with at least $700,000 in equity, plus $120,000 in financial guarantees from her husband, his sister, his father and a family friend. Harbaugh also proposed GPS-monitored home detention, surrender of her travel documents, monitoring of her electronic devices, and a ban on entering airports or contacting anyone connected to the case.
The filing acknowledges that Pretrial Services recommended detention over concerns she might not show up for future court dates. Her lawyers argue the proposed conditions would address that concern.
Her Background, According to the Defense
The filing says Zhang came to the United States in 2014, became a naturalized citizen in 2020, and has worked in Orange County real estate for about a decade. She lives with her husband and their two daughters, ages 8 and 5.
On the one-way ticket, her lawyers say it means less than prosecutors suggest. They argue she routinely books outbound and return flights separately, and that she traveled to China, France and Japan over the past year and came back to the U.S. each time. The October trip, the defense says, was meant to visit her mother and had been pushed back until after her daughters' birthdays.
What Prosecutors Allege
The criminal complaint centers on a surveillance operation in September 2025 outside a home in the Seattle area, where a close relative of a Taiwanese government official lives. According to an FBI affidavit, investigators reviewed security-camera footage that allegedly shows Zhang and another person photographing the relative and family members near the residence.
Authorities also allege she sent photos, video and vehicle information to a suspected Chinese government official through electronic communications. Investigators noted that Zhang attended China's University of International Relations in Beijing, a school the FBI describes as closely associated with China's intelligence apparatus.
Where Things Stand
Zhang's attorneys contest the charge, and they say she intends to establish her innocence. The allegations have not been proven in court, and a judge has yet to rule on her release request. If convicted, she would face up to 10 years in federal prison.
Source: Fox News Digital reporting on the defense filing and the underlying criminal complaint.
0 Comments
please do not enter any spam link in the comment box