Chinese Student Charged Federally Over Photos Of Offutt E-4B And RC-135
A Chinese college student was federally charged after allegedly photographing US military aircraft at Offutt Air Force Base and elsewhere. He was arrested April 7 at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport as he tried to fly back to Glasgow, Scotland, where he studies. Authorities say he had recently driven through multiple states and photographed aircraft at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska and Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota.
Federal prosecutors charged the 21-year-old, identified as Tianrui Liang, with illegally taking photos of US military planes on the ground. FBI agents say Liang admitted he knew photographing the aircraft on base was illegal and told investigators the pictures were for his personal collection. Officials cite a federal law that bars photographing or sketching defense installations without approval, and they say Liang planned to visit Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. Investigators also note images of the same E-4B and RC-135 family aircraft are publicly available online, complicating simple assertions of unique intent.
Early reports gave few details, focusing on the arrest and location, while later coverage identified Liang, his student status in Glasgow, and statements he made to the FBI. ABC News supplied the key updates that changed the public narrative by naming him, noting his April 7 arrest at JFK, and reporting his admission about knowing the rules.
đ Key Facts
- The defendant is identified as 21-year-old Tianrui Liang, a college student from China who studies in Glasgow, Scotland.
- He was arrested April 7 at a New York airport while attempting to fly to Glasgow.
- Authorities say he took a multistate road trip that included visits to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska and Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, and that he had planned to visit Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.
- He has been charged federally for illegally taking photos of U.S. military planes.
- Liang admitted he knew it was illegal to photograph the planes on the ground and said the photos were for his personal collection.
- The FBI cited a law banning photographing or sketching defense installations without approval, and noted that images of the same aircraft are publicly available online.
đ° Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Identifies the defendant by name as 21-year-old Tianrui Liang and notes he is a college student from China who studies in Glasgow, Scotland.
- Specifies he was arrested April 7 at a New York airport while attempting to fly to Glasgow and had recently taken a multistate road trip that included Offutt AFB in Nebraska and Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota.
- Details that he admitted knowing it was illegal to photograph the planes on the ground, said the photos were for his personal collection, and that the FBI cites a law banning photographing or sketching defense installations without approval.
- Adds that he also planned to visit Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma and that images of the same aircraft are publicly available online.