San Jose, California - In a shocking turn of events, Ziheng 'Tony' Fang, 30, a graduate student at San Jose State University (SJSU), was arrested on a federal charge of false information and hoaxes.
Fang made an initial appearance on July 10, in federal court in San Jose, California, after writing a hateful and threatening message placed in a plastic cover sheet taped to the bathroom wall of a men's restroom on the campus of SJSU.
According to the allegations in a criminal complaint and court documents filed on July 9, Fang wrote '!WARNING! MASS BOMB NEXT WEEK,' among other statements, accompanied by multiple swastika symbols, on November 5, 2025.
The message was discovered along with a second message that read 'Kill all Jews, Muslims, Chinks, and Mexicans,' 'Mass bombing 11/11 and 11/12 guess.' Fang's fingerprint was found on the paper.
Fang, who is pursuing his Master's Degree in Data Science, accessed buildings in the days leading up to the discovery of hateful and threatening messages in 16 of the 18 instances where key card access is required, according to the complaint.
The investigation revealed that Fang entered and exited the restrooms or restroom areas where some of the messages were written up to a day before their discovery.
Fang is currently in federal custody and is next scheduled to appear in federal court on July 13 for identification of counsel before Chief Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Griswold for the Northern District of California is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Trial Attorney Connor Cheadle of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
Fang's arrest comes after a series of hateful and threatening messages written in men's and gender-neutral restrooms around the SJSU campus were discovered by the SJSU Police Department personnel, with over 20 instances recorded since October 2024.
The most recent hateful and threatening message was discovered on May 14. SJSU President's Office provided several email/text message alerts to notify students and staff before dates that attacks were allegedly set to take place.
University police and the college administration received multiple calls from people worried about coming onto campus because of the threats. Campus buildings on the dates specified in the messages were described as 'ghost town,' as described in the complaint.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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