China-Born Boston Man Cleared of Spying Charges

Litang Liang’s lawyer argued the DOJ didn’t have enough proof that Liang had acted under the direction of the Chinese regime.

Massachusetts resident Litang Liang and his lawyer, Derege Demissie, stand outside the federal court after a jury acquitted Liang of U.S. charges that he acted as an unregistered agent of China, in Boston, Mass., on Feb. 10, 2025. Nate Raymond/Reuters

BOSTON—A Boston man accused of compiling a “blacklist” of U.S.-based dissidents for the Chinese regime was cleared of all charges on Monday.

A jury acquitted Litang Liang, 65, of charges that he conspired to act and acted as an agent of a foreign government without notice to the attorney general between 2018 to 2022.