Suspect consults ChatGPT after brother allegedly plants bomb at US Air Force base



One-half of the sibling pair charged in connection with an IED discovered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa allegedly consulted an AI bot to help the other sibling flee the country.

Alen is believed to still be in China.

After Alen Zheng, 20, allegedly planted the bomb at the base visitor center last month, his sister Ann Mary Zheng, 27, allegedly used ChatGPT to help Alen escape to China. Federal prosecutors claim that she asked the bot:

  • how to obtain a Chinese visa,
  • how they might transfer ownership of some of Alen's belongings to her, and
  • to find schools in China that Alen might be able to attend.

Ann Mary is accused of helping Alen cover his tracks and then evade capture. She has been charged with evidence tampering and assisting after the fact and faces up to 30 years if convicted. She appeared in court on Tuesday regarding possible pretrial release, though the judge has not yet issued a ruling.

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WD Stuart/Getty Images

A 911 call to report the bomb came in on March 11, but investigators found nothing in their initial search of the base. An IED was later discovered on March 16. The device never detonated, but officials have described it as "viable" and "potentially very deadly."

Alen and Ann Mary Zheng bought plane tickets to China on March 11 and flew there on March 12. For reasons unknown, Ann Mary returned to the U.S. on March 17. Alen is believed to still be in China.
Though he remains at large, Alen has been charged with attempted damage of government property by fire or explosion, unlawful making of a destructive device, and possession of an unregistered destructive device. If convicted, he could spend 40 years in federal prison.
Alen and Ann Mary Zheng are U.S. citizens, but their parents, Qiu Qin Zou and Jia Zhang Zheng, are not. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Chinese natives applied for asylum in the U.S. "years ago" but were denied. They were detained shortly after the IED was discovered and now face deportation.
At a press conference, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Florida Gregory Kehoe claimed that while the siblings' mother was not currently charged with any crime, the possibility of future charges against her could not be precluded.
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Naturalized citizens flee to China days before bomb found at US Air Force base



A brother and sister pair in Florida are both facing decades in federal prison after a bomb was discovered at an Air Force base days after they had fled the country.

Alen Zheng, 20, and Ann Mary Zheng, 27, who lived together in Land O' Lakes, Florida, are both under federal indictment in connection with the bomb.

Officials described the device as 'viable' and 'potentially very deadly.'

On March 10, a person called 911 to report that an IED had been placed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, CENTCOM for the U.S. military. Investigators searched the base but did not find any suspicious device at that time.

However, on March 16, an IED was discovered at the base visitor center. At a press conference on Thursday, officials described the device as "viable" and "potentially very deadly."

The 911 call about the bomb was eventually traced back to Alen Zheng, who, along with Ann Mary, had purchased plane tickets to China on March 11 and then flew there the following day, according to Gregory Kehoe, the U.S. attorney for the Central District of Florida.

Before they left, the siblings allegedly sold a black Mercedes SUV that investigators determined was at MacDill at the time the bomb was placed. IED "residue" was later discovered in the vehicle, Kehoe alleged.

For reasons unknown, Ann Mary Zheng returned to the U.S. on March 17. She and their mother spoke with investigators and "conceded" that they knew about the IED planted at MacDill and Alen's involvement in it, Kehoe claimed.

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Alen Zheng, who is believed to still be in China, has been charged with attempted damage of government property by fire or explosion, unlawful making of a destructive device, and possession of an unregistered destructive device. If convicted, he could spend up to 40 years behind bars.

Ann Mary Zheng — who has been accused of "corruptly altering, destroying, mutilating, and concealing a 2010 black Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 with the intent to impair its integrity and availability for use in the federal prosecution of Alen Zheng" — has been charged with evidence tampering and assisting after the fact. She faces up to 30 years if convicted.

A spokesperson from the office of the U.S. attorney for the Central District of Florida confirmed to Blaze News that the siblings are naturalized U.S. citizens and that their mother, whose name was not provided, is in federal custody regarding immigration.

"The mom's in custody because she is an overstay, and ... she's in custody for deportation," Kehoe said at the press conference. She has not been charged with any crime, but Kehoe indicated that the investigation is ongoing and that the possibility of future charges against her could not be precluded.

Of note, MacDill Air Force Base received a call on March 18 from someone who mentioned a bomb placed there. "How did you like the surprise at the MacDill Visitor Center?" the caller said, according to a DOJ press release. "Tick tick boom, it's gonna be between your eyes."

The suspected caller, 35-year-old Jonathan Elder, was arrested Monday.

The spokesperson from the U.S. attorney's office told Blaze News that there is no known link between Elder and the Zhengs at this time.

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