Lawyer accused of BigLaw cyberstalking detained after accusation of 'flippant' release violations
A Texas lawyer accused of cyberstalking BigLaw attorneys must await trial in jail after a federal magistrate judge ruled last week that she violated the conditions of release.
The lawyer, Fangzhou Chen, blocked calls from a supervising officer and used her computer internet connection for an improper purpose, U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian McKay of the Northern District of Texas said in a Nov. 6 order revoking pretrial release.
Chen, who is also known as Amber Chen, posted unfounded allegations that the court and Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson of the Northern District of Texas were working for the Chinese Communist Party, according to a Nov. 5 prosecution motion to revoke her release. She called a federal prosecutor Kim Jong Un, the North Korean dictator, and posted victim information on her website and X account (formerly Twitter), the government alleged.
Chen’s “continuous and flippant” violation of release conditions requires detention, federal prosecutors argued.
A Sept. 5 criminal complaint accused Chen of making threatening statements about a partner at an “international law firm” and an associate at a similar firm in social media posts and emails to the partner. The posts allegedly included:
• “If any of you stalk me again I’ll [gun emoji] you to death”
• “Sniper on site”
• “Use a silencer”
• “Ever played a real life Squid Game? lol [laughing emoji]”
An affidavit supporting the complaint says the FBI began investigating Chen after learning that she had submitted 25 online tips to the FBI National Threat Operations Center for a little less than a year, none of which was substantiated.
Chen was indicted Oct. 7 on five counts of cyberstalking involving five victims and two counts of transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce.
Law360 covered the Nov. 6 hearing in which McKay said he must revoke Chen’s pretrial release because of her “willful refusal” to follow court orders. Chen’s lawyer, Curt Crum, had argued that she didn’t understand her probation officer’s instructions about permissible online activities.
“During Thursday’s hearing,” Law360 reports, “Chen appeared confused. When she took the stand to testify, she gave her last name as ‘Chen Kennedy,’ and when asked by the government’s counsel to specify what she meant, Chen said she was not at liberty to discuss it.”
Crum did not immediately reply to the ABA Journal’s request for comment.
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