A Chinese citizen accused by U.S. federal authorities of taking unauthorized photos of secretive aircraft at a Nebraska base moved to change his plea to guilty Monday.
Tianrui Liang, 21, faces up to a year in prison and a fine in the case on charges of violating a federal law barring the photographing or sketching of defense installations, a Class A misdemeanor — the most serious in the federal system. His case was investigated by the counterintelligence squad of the Omaha FBI Field Office.
In the motion, filed Monday morning, Liang’s attorney Jeffrey L. Thomas of the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Omaha said sentencing guidelines mean his client should get a term of zero to six months in prison, and pointed out Liang has already been locked up for 30 days.
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Ah, he’s seen how our justice system works. It’s easier to just plead guilty and pay for the pardon. I get it.