Xiaolei Wu, 26, Convicted of Stalking and Threatening Berklee Student Promoting Democracy in China

A federal jury in the District of Massachusetts convicted Xiaolei Wu, 26, of cyberstalking, interstate transmissions of threatening communication, and stalking. Wu, a Berklee College of Music student, was found guilty of targeting an individual who posted fliers in support of democracy in China around the Berklee campus area.

Wu was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on December 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on January 2023.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Wu made a series of communications via WeChat, email, and Instagram directed towards the victim. Among other things, Wu said, “Post more, I will chop your bastard hands off.” He also told the victim that he had informed the public security agency in China about the victim’s actions and that the public security agency in China would “greet” the victim’s family.

Wu solicited others to find out where the victim was living and publicly posted the victim’s email address in the hopes that others would abuse the victim online, and he reported the victim’s information back to a member of the Chinese government.

“Today’s verdict by a jury in the District of Massachusetts underscores the Department’s commitment to ensuring all U.S. residents are able to freely exercise their fundamental rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy H. Kistner and Alathea E. Porter for the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

Xiaolei Wu was convicted of cyberstalking, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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