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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  • frongt@lemmy.zip
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    8 hours ago

    The MOST SERIOUS kind of misdemeanor!

    Zero to six months though? Unless he’s a college student or something, or had a passable reason to do this, just deport him.

    • meowmeow@quokk.au
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      7 hours ago

      Can’t send him home with all that info he came over here to get.

      I also laughed at “circuitous logistics”

  • Lukas Murch@thelemmy.club
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    7 hours ago

    Ah, he’s seen how our justice system works. It’s easier to just plead guilty and pay for the pardon. I get it.