Brighton man charged with working with Beijing to identify protesters - and prospective stooges - in Boston

A Brighton resident was arrested today on charges he spent several years spying on the local Chinese community for Beijing and attempting to organize opposition to any anti-China protests in the area.

Litang "Henry" Liang, 64, an American citizen and formerly a director at Chinatown Main Streets, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday and arrested today on two counts: Conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification and acting as an agent of a foreign government without notice to the attorney general. The two charges together carry a possible maximum total penalty of 15 years if he is convicted.

The indictment paints a picture of a man who busied himself for four years taking photos and videos of people who objected to various practices of the Chinese government to send off to Chinese diplomats and security officials and who organized protests in favor of China in general and reunification with Taiwan in particular.

According to the indictment, Liang has been in constant contact with various foreign-ministry and Chinese police officials in China and in New York since 2018. He snitched on a man he believed had torn down People's Republic of China flags in Boston's Chinatown and organized a counter-protest outside the State House when local residents marched there on Aug. 18, 2019 to protest a democracy crackdown in Hong Kong. He also allegedly supplied the Chinese Ministry of Public Safety with names and information about potential recruits for their efforts in the US - including somebody who "worked for an elected official in Boston" - and forwarded lists of members of various organizations.

The affidavit says Liang began his efforts for the mainland Chinese in 2018, when he contacted the Chinese UN embassy in New York.

During the Aug. 18 activity outside the State House, he took numerous photos and videos of people opposed to the Hong Kong crackdown and quickly forwarded them to Chinese officials, the indictment alleges.

Liang asked if [the person was afraid of Liang stealing his prestige, and advised [that person] to change his behavior because if he did not, [he] would be "casted aside."

The next day, he texted a high-ranking Chinese diplomat in the US and sent him a video of the guy he claimed had torn down People's Republic flags in Chinatown the year before. "He was berated by the crowd yesterday!" he allegedly exulted.

On Sept. 2, 2019, the indictment continues, Liang photographed anti-China protesters in front of the BPL in Copley Square, sent them to a contact in the Chinese government along with a note they were "a bunch of clowns causing trouble."

Liang's arrest comes five months after a Berklee student from China was arrested on charges of trying to intimidate another student who posted a sign calling for democracy in China.

Complete indictment (21M PDF).

Innocent, etc.