Charges Against Siblings Linked to Bomb Incident at MacDill Air Force Base
One of the brothers involved in an incident at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa reportedly reached out to an AI bot for advice on how to help his brother escape the country.
Allen Zheng, 20, is accused of planting an explosive device at the base’s visitor center last month. His sister, Anne Mary Zheng, 27, allegedly turned to ChatGPT for assistance, asking about various matters. She supposedly inquired about:
- How to obtain a Chinese visa,
- How to transfer some of Allen’s belongings to her name, and
- Finding a school in China for Allen.
Anne Mary stands accused of facilitating Allen’s evasion of law enforcement and tampering with evidence. She could face a maximum of 30 years in prison if found guilty. Recently, she appeared in court to seek pretrial release, but a decision is still pending.
A 911 call was made on March 11 regarding a bomb threat, leading to an initial search that turned up nothing. However, the device was located later on March 16. While it did not detonate, officials described it as “viable” and “potentially very lethal.”
On March 11, both siblings purchased tickets to China, departing the next day. Interestingly, Anne Mary returned to the U.S. on March 17, while Allen is believed to still be in China.
Allen, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, faces serious charges including attempted arson, illegal manufacturing of a destructive device, and possession of an unregistered explosive. If convicted, he could be sentenced to 40 years in a federal prison.
Although both Allen and Anne Mary are U.S. citizens, their parents are not. Reports suggest their mother had applied for asylum in the U.S. years ago but was denied. Following the discovery of the IED, the family was detained and is now facing deportation.
Gregory Kehoe, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Florida, mentioned in a recent press conference that, while their mother isn’t charged at this time, future charges could still be a possibility.
