A man and a woman have been indicted after the discovery of a suspicious device outside MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., earlier this month.
Alen Zheng, 20, of Land O’Lakes, Fla., was charged with attempting to damage government property, possession of an unregistered destructive device, and unlawful making of a destructive device, after attempting to detonate an improvised explosive device at MacDill Airforce Base Visitor’s Center. Police discovered the device on March 16 and disassembled it before it could blow up.
His sister, Ann Mary Zheng, 27, also of Land O’Lakes was charged with assisting after the fact. According to the indictment, Ann Mary Zheng knew her brother had attempted to damage government property with the improvised device, and assisted him in order to prevent his arrest. Officials said she sold a 2010 black Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 on CarMax that Alen Zheng had used to transport the IED to the base.
The two fled the country back to China two days after Alen Zheng planted the device, officials said. Alen Zheng faces a minimum penalty of five years and up to 40 years in prison if convicted, while his sister faces a maximum of 30 years in prison.
“The FBI takes all threats seriously. So do our law enforcement partners. Together, we have the capacity, the resources, and the skill to respond swiftly and expeditiously to mitigate the threats. This collaboration leads to safer communities and demonstrates the collective commitment to defend the homeland and protect the American people,” said FBI Tampa SAC Matthew Fodor.
In a press conference, FBI officials said Ann Mary Zheng returned from China on March 17 and was apprehended by law enforcement. The next day, the FBI obtained a search warrant for the Zheng home and found “IED components consistent with the bomb that had been placed at MacDill Air Force Base.” The FBI said agents spoke with Ann Mary Zheng and her mother. They both said Alen Zheng had told them about the IED he had planted at MacDill.
Alen Zheng remains at large in China, officials said.