A Chinese woman caught trespassing at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort has been jailed for eight months.
Yujing Zhang, 33, was found guilty of trespassing and lying to federal agents following a trial at which she acted as her own lawyer.
When Zhang was arrested sneaking into the Florida resort, she was carrying two passports and an electronic signal blocking Faraday bag containing four mobile phones, a computer, and an external hard drive.
The financial consultant from Shanghai told the judge she only had $5,000 but police found $8,000 in her hotel room in Palm Beach, Florida, along with nine flash drives, four SIM cards, and other electronics. She had $40,000 in a bank account.
Zhang told the Secret Service she was going to use the pool at Mar-a-Lago.
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Donald Trump sits in the living room at Mar-a-Lago in 1993. The following pictures show the interior of the Mar-a-Lago estate. Many of them are from before Trump bought the property in 1985 but, as the newer pictures show, he hasn’t done much with the place
Rex
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The dining room at Mar-a-Lago under Trump. The following pictures show the interior of the Mar-a-Lago estate. Many of them are from before Trump bought the property in 1985 but, as the newer pictures show, he hasn’t done much with the place
Rex
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The dining room at Mar-a-Lago in 1967. The following pictures show the interior of the Mar-a-Lago estate. Many of them are from before Trump bought the property in 1985 but, as the newer pictures show, he hasn’t done much with the place
US National Park Service
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The dining room at Mar-a-Lago under Trump in 2015
The Washington Post/Getty
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Function room at Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
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Donald Trump sits in the living room at Mar-a-Lago in 1993.
Rex
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The living room in Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
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Master bedroom at Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
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Library at Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
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Cloister at Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
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Entrance hall at Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
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Spiral staircase at Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
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The dining room at Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
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Patio at Mar-a-Lago in 1928
US National Park Service
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Cloister at Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
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Mar-a-Lago in 2018
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Mar-a-Lago in 2018
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Mar-a-Lago in 2018
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Mar-a-Lago in 2018
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Mar-a-Lago in 2018
AFP/Getty
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Donald Trump sits in the living room at Mar-a-Lago in 1993. The following pictures show the interior of the Mar-a-Lago estate. Many of them are from before Trump bought the property in 1985 but, as the newer pictures show, he hasn’t done much with the place
Rex
2/20
The dining room at Mar-a-Lago under Trump. The following pictures show the interior of the Mar-a-Lago estate. Many of them are from before Trump bought the property in 1985 but, as the newer pictures show, he hasn’t done much with the place
Rex
3/20
The dining room at Mar-a-Lago in 1967. The following pictures show the interior of the Mar-a-Lago estate. Many of them are from before Trump bought the property in 1985 but, as the newer pictures show, he hasn’t done much with the place
US National Park Service
4/20
The dining room at Mar-a-Lago under Trump in 2015
The Washington Post/Getty
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Function room at Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
6/20
Donald Trump sits in the living room at Mar-a-Lago in 1993.
Rex
7/20
The living room in Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
8/20
Master bedroom at Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
9/20
Library at Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
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Cloister at Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
11/20
Entrance hall at Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
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Spiral staircase at Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
13/20
The dining room at Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
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Patio at Mar-a-Lago in 1928
US National Park Service
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Cloister at Mar-a-Lago in 1967
US National Park Service
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Mar-a-Lago in 2018
Getty
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Mar-a-Lago in 2018
Getty
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Mar-a-Lago in 2018
Getty
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Mar-a-Lago in 2018
Getty
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Mar-a-Lago in 2018
AFP/Getty
Later, she changed her story, saying she was at the club to attend an event hosted by the United Nations Chinese Friendship Association. But a later examination of Zhang’s communications revealed that she knew the event was cancelled before embarking for the US.
The event, which was supposed to include a dinner at Mar-a-Lago, was cancelled after the Miami Herald revealed that one of its promoters had run a massage parlour where men paid for sex.
Speaking to the court, Zhang said: “I do think I did nothing wrong.”
Her stay in jail since her arrest on 30 March will count towards her prison time. She will be deported when the sentence is up.
