Williamstown firearms case resolves after claims of retaliation by Shen Yun
- By Amanda Burke, The Berkshire Eagle
- Jan 1, 2026
PITTSFIELD — A Williamstown man who alleged that a firearms investigation against him was triggered by retaliation from the Falun Gong–affiliated Shen Yun organization has resolved the case under a court agreement that avoids a conviction.
Chao Yu admitted last week to sufficient facts on counts of possessing a firearm and ammunition without a firearms identification card. The charges were continued without a finding of guilt, a disposition that will result in dismissal if he complies with court-ordered conditions for the next six months.
Prosecutors dropped charges of possessing a large-capacity feeding device.
Judge Jeremy Bucci accepted the agreement just days after he outlined his intent to reject the prosecution’s request for guilty pleas in favor of the defense’s recommendation.
The case stemmed from a 2023 investigation that Yu has said was triggered by retaliation after he publicly criticized the Falun Gong–affiliated Shen Yun organization, a global dance company headquartered in New York that has come under fire after former dancers reported mistreatment within the organization.
Yu, himself a longtime practitioner of Falun Gong, a Chinese spiritual movement, has said he began speaking out after becoming disillusioned with the group for the practices he described as abusive, according to court documents filed by his lawyer, Megan Siddall.
Yu, who said he immigrated to the United States after spending years imprisoned in China for his religious beliefs, has claimed he was targeted after raising those concerns publicly. He has maintained that reports made to authorities about his alleged behavior were false or exaggerated and were intended to silence him.
According to court filings, law enforcement began investigating Yu after receiving information that he possessed firearms and ammunition without proper licensing. Police later seized multiple firearms and rounds of ammunition from his residence. Prosecutors alleged that Yu had not obtained the necessary Massachusetts licenses after moving from another state.
Yu’s attorneys argued that he legally purchased the firearms while living in Minnesota and did not fully understand the state’s licensing requirements. They also contended that the investigation was fueled by retaliation connected to his criticism of Shen Yun.
Siddall said in court documents that Yu had cooperated with authorities and complied with court orders, including surrendering his passport and weapons.
Under the terms of the Dec. 22 agreement, Yu must remain law-abiding for six months and forfeit two firearms. If he does so, the charges will be dismissed and he will not have a conviction on his record.
Bucci also ordered Yu to possess no firearms, large-capacity feeding devices or ammunition during the probationary period.
Judge outlines path to dismissal in firearms case against Williamstown man
- By Amanda Burke, The Berkshire Eagle
- Dec 18, 2025
- Amanda Burke Cops and Courts Reporter
PITTSFIELD — A judge has outlined a proposed resolution in a firearms case against Chao Yu, a Williamstown man and outspoken critic of the Falun Gong–affiliated dance company Shen Yun, indicating the charges could be dismissed without a conviction if a plea moves forward, according to court filings.
Judge Jeremy Bucci last week indicted he would impose a six-month continuance without a finding of guilt on four counts against Yu, filings show. Prosecutors indicated they would dismiss the remaining charges.
The judge’s suggestion came after Yu’s lawyer filed a detailed sentencing memorandum in which she described her client as a former political prisoner in China whose life has been shaped by religious persecution, exile and whistleblowing against powerful institutions.
In the filing, defense lawyer Megan Siddall said Yu was a longtime practitioner of Falun Gong who spent nearly a decade imprisoned in China for helping Western journalists communicate with adherents of the banned spiritual movement.
She wrote that Yu was subjected to beatings, sleep deprivation and the denial of basic hygiene and medical care while incarcerated. He eventually secured asylum in the United States and became a U.S. citizen.
Yu later turned his attention to Shen Yun Performing Arts, a global dance company affiliated with Falun Gong, after she stated that performers confided in him about abuse and mistreatment, the memo says.
Siddall wrote that Yu was “disgusted to learn that his beloved Falun Gong was itself engaging in the kind of conduct he had previously condemned,” and he reported those concerns to the National Human Trafficking Hotline and publicly criticized Shen Yun through YouTube videos and interviews with journalists. She said his actions triggered retaliation.
Siddall write that Shen Yun or Falun Gong affiliates falsely portrayed Yu as dangerous to federal authorities, which led to an FBI bulletin and, ultimately, law enforcement scrutiny of his firearms possession. Yu has denied making threats toward the organizations, and has said statements cited by authorities were mistranslated from Chinese.
Siddall argued that Yu cooperated fully with police, voluntarily disclosed the presence of firearms and ammunition in his home, which she wrote that and acknowledged that he failed to comply with Massachusetts licensing requirements after moving from Minnesota, where the weapons were legally purchased. The memo emphasized that Yu has no criminal history and does not pose a danger to the public.
Siddall wrote that Yu obtained the firearms for self-protection, citing his history of imprisonment in China and his fear of retaliation after publicly criticizing Shen Yun and Falun Gong leadership.
Attached to the filing were multiple letters of support submitted on Yu’s behalf, including one from his adult son, an Army Reserve sergeant preparing to attend officer candidate school. In his letter, his son Yu “risked his own life and freedom” to protect others.
Another letter came from a couple who said they befriended Yu shortly after he arrived in the United States in 2013 while seeking asylum. They described helping Yu navigate American life, improve his English and settle his family, portraying him as thoughtful, hardworking and ethical.
A third letter was submitted by Ian Johnson, a journalist who won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of China’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Johnson wrote that Yu played a critical role in his reporting, at great risk to his own personal safety.
Siddall urged the court to resolve the case with a continuance without a finding of guilt and a brief period of administrative probation, after which point the charges would be dismissed. She argued that further punishment would neither serve public safety nor deter future misconduct.
A plea change hearing has been set for Dec. 22. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts each of possessing a large-capacity firearm, possessing a large-capacity feeding device and possessing ammunition without an FID card.
Attorney will challenge police search in case of Williamstown man facing weapons charges
- By Amanda Burke, The Berkshire Eagle
- Feb 1, 2025
PITTSFIELD — Weapons and other evidence found at the home of a Williamstown man should be excluded from the case because of the way the police search was handled, according to a defense attorney.
That development came during a pretrial hearing Wednesday in the case of Chao Yu, who caught the attention of the FBI after a video he made about Shen Yun, a dance group associated with the Falun Gong religious movement. Shen Yun is under fire for allegedly exploiting its young performers.
Richard Chambers, Yu’s attorney, said that he intends to file a motion to suppress that evidence based on his review of pretrial discovery in the case, indicating he will challenge the warrant authorities used to search his client’s home in September 2023.
Williamstown man and Shen Yun critic files motion to dismiss gun case
During that search, officers reported finding an AR-15 rifle, a 9 mm pistol, 645 rounds of ammunition and high-capacity magazines, according to court documents. Yu was arrested and has pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of firearms.
Prosecutors allege that a 60-day grace period for obtaining a gun license after moving to the state had passed, making the weapons illegally possessed.
But in a previous motion to dismiss filed in November, Chambers argued that Yu purchased the firearms legally while living in Minnesota, and his firearms license was pending in Massachusetts when the case began. He said prosecutors failed to demonstrate when the guns actually entered the state, and thus could not show that grace period had closed.
Judge John Agostini denied the motion the following week, setting the stage for ongoing pretrial litigation.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Chambers told Agostini of his intent to file the motion to suppress evidence based on how the police search was conducted.
He said he could compile that argument and submit a pleading to the court within two weeks, after which a hearing will be scheduled, possibly including testimony from police officers who were involved.
Yu, who appeared remotely at the hearing via videoconference, asked to make a statement to the court. Chambers advised against it, and the two met privately in a separate videoconference before returning to the public session.
Chambers told the court Yu is concerned about an ongoing investigation that is retaliation to his role as a whistleblower.
“He just wanted the court to understand that there was more to this case than just simply him being charged for the firearms,” Chambers said, adding that he will incorporate those concerns into the forthcoming motion to suppress.
Agostini said he understood “there was some undercurrent” to the case and “this is not as narrow an issue as some people may think.” Chambers also relayed Yu’s concerns about the public nature of the court hearing, and Agostini said Chambers is free to seek protective orders for future court filings if he believes it necessary.
Yu is among the vocal critics of Shen Yun Performing Arts, which is operated by the Falun Gong faith. While condemning the practices of Shen Yun, Yu also stated last year that he is a Falun Gong practitioner, which is banned in his native China, leading him to seek asylum in the United States.
Shen Yun is at the center of a lawsuit accusing it of forced labor and human trafficking, according to The New York Times, which has also reported on exploitation of young dancers by Shen Yun and its murky links to the publication The Epoch Times.
Yu says he was excommunicated from Falun Gong after gathering testimony about its “horrific practices” and sharing it with the world.
Law enforcement characterized the video as threatening, while Yu said that conclusion was based on a mistranslation of his actual message, which was delivered in Chinese.
Williamstown man and Shen Yun critic files motion to dismiss gun case
- By Amanda Burke, The Berkshire Eagle
- Nov 30, 2024
PITTSFIELD — A lawyer for a Williamstown man and outspoken critic of the Shen Yun dance troupe filed a motion to dismiss his client’s illegal firearms possession case.
Chao Yu stands accused of possessing an AR15 rifle, a 9 mm pistol, 645 rounds of ammunition and high-capacity magazines in his home without a valid Massachusetts gun license. But defense lawyer Richard Chambers Jr. said the firearms were legally purchased in Minnesota, where Yu used to live.
That’s significant because Yu had a 60-day window to obtain his gun license from the time when the weapons entered the state, Chambers argued at a Monday hearing in front of Judge John Agostini in Berkshire Superior Court. Without evidence about when the firearms entered the state, prosecutors were unable to prove that Yu blew the deadline.
Yu’s firearms license application was still pending at the time police seized his weapons.
“There was no evidence before the grand jury as to when the … firearms were brought by the defendant into the commonwealth,” Chambers said.
“There was not probable cause to indict,” he added.
Assistant District Attorney Jocelyn McGrath countered that Chambers’ reading of the gun statute was incorrect, saying that the 60-day window began when the gun owner enters the state, not the guns themselves.
By that metric, she said Yu’s “grace period” for obtaining his gun license had elapsed, since Yu moved to the state in 2022.
Agostini listened to the arguments and said he would issue a decision on Yu’s motion to dismiss at a later date. If he denies the motion to dismiss, the case will likely proceed on track toward a trial or possible plea.
Yu is free on his own recognizance as the case remains pending in Berkshire Superior Court. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts each of possessing a large-capacity firearm, possessing a large-capacity feeding device and possessing ammunition without an FID card.
The investigation into his firearms began after the FBI last year accused him of making “threats” in a YouTube video toward the Falun Gong compound in Cuddebackville, N.Y.
Yu denied the allegation, and said it was based on a misinterpretation of what he was saying in Chinese.
Yu has spoken out against Falun Gong and the dance troupe it’s tied to, Shen Yun, which he said mistreats its juvenile dancers. His claims were echoed in a new lawsuit a former Shen Yun dancer filed against the organization, who accuses it of forced labor, human trafficking and exploitation of its young performers.
Yu said he was a practitioner of Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned in China, and fled to the U.S. He speaks out against Shen Yun on his YouTube channel.
The FBI investigated a Williamstown man for threats against a religious compound. He denies the claims, and now faces gun charges
- By Amanda Burke, The Berkshire Eagle
- Mar 22, 2024
PITTSFIELD — As one of millions of practitioners of the banned Falun Gong religion in his native China, Chao Yu says he was once in the Communist party’s crosshairs.
He was one of an unknown number of Falun Gong adherents who were imprisoned during the Chinese government’s crackdown on the religion, he said.
On Monday, Yu stood outside Berkshire Superior Court next to his lawyer, Richard Chambers Jr.
Yu, 51, sought asylum in United States and received his citizenship about two years ago, according to Chambers. Yu now lives in Williamstown
Now, Yu said he’s fighting on two fronts. One is against what he says is wrongdoing by Falun Gong leaders of the spiritual movement that, in many ways, defined much of his life. His other battle is a legal one — against felony gun possession charges in Berkshire Superior Court. The two battles are linked, Yu said after his arraignment Monday.
It started, Yu said, when he began to speak out against the leadership of Falun Gong. Specifically, he claimed Falun Gong mistreats its juvenile dancers in Shen Yun, the performing arts troupe Falun Gong operates.
“After I came to the United States, in the recent 10 years, I gradually found the dark side of Falun Gong,” said Yu.
Shen Yun achieved notoriety in the United States with its ubiquitous promotions. Falun Gong, a spiritual movement founded by Li Hongzhi in China in 1992, was banned by the Chinese government, which labeled the group a cult. Falun Gong is also anti-Communist.
Shen Yun’s global headquarters, known as Dragon Springs, is located in Deerpark, N.Y., about 100 miles west of Berkshire County.
Adherents see meditation and other forms of spiritual practice as means to seek enlightenment and representative of traditional Chinese values lost in the Communist revolution. They see the movement’s founding leader, Li Hongzhi, as a “God-like figure who can levitate, walk through walls and see into the future,” according to ABC News reporter Brandy Zadrozny‘s piece about The Epoch Times, the conservative news organization run by Falong Gong.
Yu still identifies as a practitioner of Falun Gong, but says some adherents are being spiritually abused. He spreads his message to more than 30,000 subscribers on YouTube.
“What they are doing goes directly against what what I have fought for. I spent nine years, eight months and 23 days in jail, in custody, in China, to defend the core value of truthfulness, compassion, forbearance,” Yu said, referencing the principles of Falun Gong.
His videos caught the attention of federal authorities, which resulted in a Sept. 7 bulletin that Yu “made threats” toward the Falun Gong compound in New York, according to a police report by Williamstown Police Sgt. Shaun William.
“In one of his most recent videos Yu Chao claimed he wanted to be on a ‘suicide squad’ and had videos from 2020 demonstrating loading his guns,” the FBI officer safety bulletin said.
In an interview with The Eagle, Yu denied threatening Falun Gong, and blamed Shen Yun for reporting him to the FBI.
Yu said the claim that he had “stated he wanted to be part of a ‘suicide squad,'” was incorrect and based on the mistranslation of Chinese. Rather, he said he was describing his willingness to keep speaking out despite feeling the threat of retaliation.
“What I mean definitely cannot be translated into ‘suicide squad’ in such kind of context,” Yu said.
Yu said he bought the firearms legally when he was living in Minnesota, where he said the video in question were also filmed.
“In Minnesota, you don’t need a license to carry like you do in Massachusetts. He moved to Massachusetts, he had those legally purchase firearms from Minnesota,” said Chambers, Yu’s lawyer.
Yu applied for his Massachusetts firearms license on Aug. 28, but his application hadn’t been accepted yet, according to the police report.
The officer said Yu had Massachusetts residency since 2022 and had “ample time to properly transfer his firearms and get an LTC.”
Yu told the FBI agents he feared for his life.
Police filed charges against Yu in Northern Berkshire District Court in September for the illegal possession of an AR-15 rifle, a 9 mm pistol, 645 rounds of ammunition and high-capacity magazines in his home. He was ordered to surrender his passport.
Chambers said Yu rejected a plea offer from prosecutors that would have carried an 18 month jail sentence. So prosecutors presented the case to a Berkshire County grand jury, which indicted him on two counts each of possessing a large-capacity firearm, possessing a large-capacity feeding device and possessing ammunition without an FID card.
He was arraigned Monday and pleaded not guilty. Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Ilberg-Lamm said during the hearing that Yu has complied with orders while on pretrial release and cooperated with investigators.
Yu said his quest to shed light on Falun Gong isn’t over.
“I just cannot be silent,” he said. “I just cannot be silent.”
威廉斯敦槍枝案在神韻組織聲稱報復後達成和解
伯克郡鷹報記者 亞曼達·伯克報導
2026年1月1日
皮茨菲爾德訊——威廉斯敦一名男子指控針對其槍枝調查係受法輪功相關組織「神韻」報復所致，現已透過法院協議達成和解，避免定罪。
周耀上週承認持有槍枝及彈藥卻未持有槍枝識別證的指控成立。檢方對其罪名不予定罪，若其未來六個月遵守法院命令條件，此處置將導致案件撤銷。
檢方撤銷了持有大容量供彈裝置的指控。
傑里米·布奇法官在表明將駁回檢方認罪請求、採納辯方建議數日後，即接受了此項協議。
本案源於2023年調查，虞超聲稱此調查係因其公開批評法輪功相關組織神韻而遭報復。該全球性舞蹈團體總部位於紐約，因前舞者揭露內部虐待行為而備受抨擊。
據其律師梅根·西達爾提交的法庭文件顯示，身為法輪功長期修習者的虞超表示，因對該組織所稱具虐待性質的行為感到幻滅，遂開始公開發聲。
虞超聲稱因宗教信仰在中國遭監禁多年後移民美國，並指控公開提出質疑後成為打壓目標。他堅稱當局收到的關於其行為的舉報均屬虛假或誇大，意在封口。
法庭文件顯示，執法部門接獲舉報指其未持合法許可證持有槍械彈藥後展開調查。警方隨後在其住所查獲多支槍械及數批彈藥。檢方指控虞超從其他州遷居後未取得麻薩諸塞州所需許可證。
虞超的律師辯稱，他在明尼蘇達州居住期間合法購得槍枝，且對該州許可證要求理解不足。律師團同時主張，此項調查實為對其批評神韻演出的報復行為。
西達爾在法庭文件中指出，虞超已配合當局並遵守法庭命令，包括交出護照與武器。
根據12月22日協議條款，虞超須在六個月內遵守法律並繳交兩支槍械。若能履行條件，相關指控將予撤銷，其犯罪紀錄亦不留案底。
布奇法官另裁定虞超在緩刑期間不得持有任何槍械、大容量彈匣或彈藥。
法官為威廉斯敦男子槍枝案擬定撤訴路徑
- 伯克郡鷹報 記者 亞曼達·伯克
- 2025年12月18日
- 亞曼達·伯克 警政法庭記者
匹茲菲爾德訊——根據法庭文件顯示，法官已就威廉斯敦男子虞超涉槍案提出擬議解決方案。虞超長期公開批評法輪功相關舞蹈團體神韻，若認罪協議成立，相關指控可免於定罪撤銷。
文件顯示，傑里米·布奇法官上週宣佈將對虞超四項指控實施六個月延期審理且不作有罪裁定。檢方表示將撤銷其餘指控。
法官此項建議源於虞超律師提交的詳盡量刑備忘錄，其中描述當事人曾為中國政治犯，其人生歷經宗教迫害、流亡及揭發權勢機構等重大事件。
辯護律師梅根·西達爾在文件中指出，虞超是長期修習法輪功者，因協助西方記者聯繫該禁教組織信徒，在中國遭監禁近十年。
她寫道，虞超在監禁期間遭受毆打、睡眠剝奪，基本衛生與醫療照護均遭剝奪。他最終在美國獲得庇護並成為美國公民。
備忘錄指出，虞超後來將注意力轉向與法輪功相關的全球舞蹈團體神韻藝術團，因表演者向他透露遭受虐待與不當對待。
西達爾寫道，虞超「驚覺自己深愛的法輪功竟也從事他曾譴責的行徑」而深感厭惡，遂向國家人口販運熱線舉報疑慮，並透過YouTube影片及記者訪談公開抨擊神韻。她指出虞超的行動招致報復。
西達爾指出，神韻或法輪功相關組織向聯邦當局虛假描述虞超為危險人物，導致聯邦調查局發布通告，最終引發執法部門對其槍枝持有狀況的審查。虞超否認曾威脅相關組織，並表示當局引述的陳述是中文譯文有誤。
西達爾強調，虞超全程配合警方調查，主動申報家中槍枝彈藥存放情況，並坦承從明尼蘇達州遷居後未遵守麻薩諸塞州持槍許可規定——該州為其合法購置武器之地。備忘錄特別指出虞超無犯罪紀錄，對公眾不構成威脅。
西達爾指出，虞超購置槍械是為自我保護，理由是他曾於中國入獄，且因公開批評神韻藝術團與法輪功領導層而擔憂遭報復。
文件附有多封為虞超提交的支持信函，其中包括其成年兒子——一名準備參加軍官候補學校的陸軍預備役中士——的信件。其子在信中稱，父親「冒著自身生命與自由的風險」保護他人。
另一封信件來自一對夫婦，他們表示於2013年於赴美尋求庇護後不久便與其結識。信中描述協助虞超適應美國生活、提升英語能力及安置家人的過程，將其描繪為體貼、勤奮且品德高尚之人。
第三封信由記者伊恩·強森提交，他曾因報導中國迫害法輪功信徒獲普立茲獎。強森寫道，虞超在報導中扮演關鍵角色，且冒著極大個人安全風險。
西達爾敦促法庭以「延期審理且不作有罪裁定」方式處理本案，並處以短期行政緩刑，期滿後撤銷指控。她辯稱，進一步懲處既無助公共安全，亦無法遏止未來不當行為。
變更認罪聽證會定於12月22日舉行。他對兩項持有大容量槍械罪、兩項持有大容量供彈裝置罪及兩項未持槍械識別卡持有彈藥罪均表示不認罪。
威廉斯敦男子面臨武器指控 辯護律師將質疑警方搜查程序
- 伯克郡鷹報 阿曼達·伯克報導
- 2025年2月1日
皮茨菲爾德訊——辯護律師指出，警方對威廉斯敦男子住所的搜查程序存在瑕疵，該處查獲的武器及其他證據應予排除。
此進展發生於周三針對虞超案的審前聽證會。虞超因製作關於神韻舞蹈團的影片而引起聯邦調查局關注，該團體與法輪功宗教運動有關聯。神韻舞蹈團因涉嫌剝削年輕表演者而備受爭議。
虞超的辯護律師理查德·錢伯斯表示，經審閱本案庭前證據後，他將提出動議要求排除該證據，意在質疑當局2023年9月搜查其委託人住所所依據的搜查令。
根據法庭文件，搜查期間警方聲稱查獲一支AR-15步槍、一把9毫米手槍、645發子彈及大容量彈匣。虞超遭逮捕後對非法持有槍枝罪名表示不認罪。
檢方指控其遷居本州後60天申辦槍枝許可的寬限期已過，故屬非法持有武器。
但在去年十一月提交的撤銷訴訟動議中，錢伯斯辯稱，虞超在明尼蘇達州居住期間合法購得槍械，且本案起訴時其麻州槍械執照尚在審核中。他指出檢方未能證明槍支實際進入本州的具體時間，因此無法證實寬限期已屆滿。
約翰·阿戈斯蒂尼法官於次週駁回該動議，為後續的審前訴訟鋪路。
週三聽證會上，錢伯斯告知阿戈斯蒂尼法官，擬基於警方搜查程序提出排除證據動議。
他表示兩週內可彙整論據提交法庭，隨後將排定聽證會，可能傳喚涉案警員作證。
透過視訊遠端出席聽證會的虞超要求向法庭陳述。錢伯斯勸阻此舉，兩人隨後在獨立視訊會議中私下會晤，方重返公開庭審。
錢伯斯向法庭說明，虞超憂心針對其吹哨者身分的報復性調查仍在進行。
「他僅希望法庭理解，本案不僅是單純的槍枝指控。」錢伯斯補充道，並表示將把這些顧慮納入即將提出的排除證據動議。
阿戈斯蒂尼表示理解本案「存在某些潛在因素」，「這並非某些人想像中那般單純的問題」。錢伯斯同時轉達了虞超對公開庭審性質的顧慮，阿戈斯蒂尼回應稱若錢伯斯認為必要，可自由申請保護令以保障未來法庭文件的保密性。
虞超是神韻藝術團的公開批評者之一，該團體由法輪功信仰運作。在譴責神韻行為的同時，虞超去年亦聲明自己是法輪功修煉者——該信仰在其祖國中國被禁，促使他赴美尋求庇護。
據《紐約時報》報導，神韻身陷訴訟風波，被控涉及強迫勞動與人口販運。該報亦揭露神韻剝削年輕舞者，並與《大紀元時報》存在模糊關聯。
虞超表示，因蒐集證據揭露法輪功「駭人聽聞的作法」並公諸於世，遭該組織開除教籍。
執法機關將影片定性為威脅性內容，但虞超指出此結論源於對其中文原意的誤譯。
威廉斯敦男子與神韻批評者提出槍枝案撤訴動議
- 伯克郡鷹報 記者阿曼達·伯克
- 2024年11月30日
皮茨菲爾德訊——一位威廉斯敦男子的律師，同時也是神韻舞蹈團的直言批評者，已為其當事人提出非法持有槍械案的撤銷訴訟動議。
虞超被控在未持有麻薩諸塞州有效槍械執照的情況下，於住所內持有AR15步槍、9毫米手槍、645發彈藥及大容量彈匣。但辯護律師小理查德·錢伯斯指出，這些槍械係於明尼蘇達州合法購得，該州為虞超原居住地。
錢伯斯於週一在伯克郡高等法院向約翰·阿戈斯蒂尼法官陳述時強調，此點至關重要——依規定，自槍械進入本州起，虞超享有60天申請持槍許可的緩衝期。由於檢方未能提出槍械入境確切時間的證據，故無法證明余氏逾期未辦許可。
警方查獲槍枝時，虞超持槍許可證申請仍在審核中。
錢伯斯指出：「大陪審團審理時，並無證據顯示被告何時將槍枝帶入本州。」
他補充道：「起訴缺乏合理依據。」
助理地區檢察官喬斯琳·麥格拉思反駁稱錢伯斯對槍支法規的解讀有誤，強調60天期限應自槍支所有者進入本州時起算，而非槍支本身。
她指出，依此標準，鑒於虞超於2022年遷居本州，其取得槍支許可證的「寬限期」早已屆滿。
阿戈斯蒂尼法官聽取辯論後表示，將於日後就虞超的撤銷起訴動議作出裁決。若駁回動議，本案將按程序進入審判或可能的認罪協商階段。
本案仍在伯克郡高等法院審理中，虞超目前以自保形式獲釋。他對兩項持有大容量槍械罪、兩項持有大容量供彈裝置罪及兩項未持槍械許可證持有彈藥罪均提出無罪抗辯。
聯邦調查局去年指控他在YouTube影片中對紐約州卡德貝克維爾的法輪功基地發出「威脅」，此後啟動了針對其槍械的調查。
虞超否認指控，稱其基於對中文發言的誤解。
虞超曾公開批評法輪功及其相關舞蹈團體神韻，指控該團體虐待未成年舞者。其主張與前神韻舞者新近提起的訴訟相呼應，該訴訟指控神韻組織涉及強迫勞動、人口販運及剝削年輕表演者。
虞超表示自己曾是中國禁絕的靈性運動「法輪功」修煉者，後逃亡至美國。他在YouTube頻道上公開抨擊神韻。
聯邦調查局調查威廉斯敦男子威脅宗教場所案。當事人否認指控，現面臨槍枝罪名
- 伯克郡鷹報 記者阿曼達·伯克
- 2024年3月22日
匹茲菲爾德訊——身為中國境內數百萬遭禁法輪功信仰者之一，趙宇自稱曾是共產黨的鎖定目標。
他表示，在中國政府打壓該宗教期間，他與其他遭監禁的法輪功信徒人數至今不明。
週一，51歲的余朝宇與律師小理查德·錢伯斯並肩站在伯克郡高等法院外。
據錢伯斯所述，余朝宇約兩年前在美國申請庇護並取得公民身份，現居威廉斯敦。
如今余朝宇表示自己正面對雙重戰場：其一是對抗他所指控的法輪功精神運動領導層的違法行為——該運動在許多層面定義了他的人生； 另一場戰役則是法律層面的——在伯克希爾高等法院對抗非法持有槍支的重罪指控。於週一提審後，於表示這兩場戰役實則相互關聯。
於表示，這場風波始於他開始公開批評法輪功領導層。他具體指控法輪功在其經營的藝術團體神韻中虐待未成年舞者。
「移居美國後的這十年，我逐漸看清法輪功的黑暗面。」于先生表示。
神韻藝術團憑藉無處不在的宣傳活動在美國聲名狼藉。法輪功由李洪志於1992年在中國創立，後被中國政府以邪教名義取缔，該組織亦持反共立場。
神韻全球總部「龍泉」位於紐約州迪爾帕克，距伯克郡以西約100英里。
信徒視冥想等靈修實踐為追求覺悟的途徑，並認為這些實踐代表了共產革命中失傳的傳統中國價值觀。據美國廣播公司記者布蘭迪·扎德羅茲尼在《大紀元時報》的報導所述，該運動創始人李洪志被信徒奉為「神明般的存在，能懸浮空中、穿牆而過並預知未來」。《大紀元時報》是由法輪功營運的保守派新聞機構。
于先生仍自認是法輪功修習者，但指出部分信徒正遭受精神虐待。他透過YouTube向逾三萬名訂閱者傳播理念。
「他們的所作所為與我畢生捍衛的信念背道而馳。為捍衛『真、善、忍』的核心價值，我在中國監禁、羈押長達九年零八個月又二十三日。」于指的是法輪功的修持原則。
其影片引起聯邦當局關注，威廉斯敦警局警長肖恩·威廉的報告顯示，聯邦當局於9月7日發布公告稱余朝對紐約法輪功基地「發出威脅」。
聯邦調查局警員安全公告指出：「余朝在近期影片中聲稱欲加入『自殺小隊』，且2020年影片顯示其裝填槍械。」
於朝在接受《鷹報》採訪時否認威脅法輪功，並指責神韻藝術團向聯邦調查局舉報他。
於朝表示，所謂他「聲稱想加入『自殺小隊』」的說法不正確，是基於中文翻譯錯誤。他解釋自己當時描述的是即使感受到報復威脅，仍願意繼續發聲的決心。
「在該語境下，我的本意絕對無法被譯為『自殺小隊』，」余強調。
余表示涉案影片拍攝地明尼蘇達州，正是他合法購置槍枝的所在地。
「明州無需如麻州般持有攜帶許可證。他遷居麻州後，仍持有從明州合法購得的槍械，」余的律師錢伯斯說明。
根據警方報告，余於8月28日申請麻州槍枝執照，但申請尚未獲准。
警官指出，余自2022年起即具麻州居住資格，有「充裕時間合法轉移槍枝並取得持槍許可證」。
余向聯邦調查局探員表示，他當時擔心自己性命不保。
警方於九月在北伯克郡地方法院對余提出指控，指其在家中非法持有AR-15步槍、9毫米手槍、645發子彈及大容量彈匣。法院命令其繳交護照。
錢伯斯指出，余某拒絕了檢方提出的認罪協議——該協議本可使他獲得18個月監禁。因此檢方將案件提交伯克郡大陪審團，該陪審團以兩項持有大容量槍械罪、兩項持有大容量供彈裝置罪及兩項無持槍許可證持有彈藥罪對其提起公訴。
周一出庭應訊時，他對所有指控均表示不認罪。助理地區檢察官史蒂芬妮·伊爾伯格-拉姆在聽證會上指出，於在候審期間遵守了所有命令，並配合了調查人員的工作。
於表示，他揭露法輪功真相的行動尚未結束。
「我無法保持沉默，」他說，「我實在無法保持沉默。」
陳旭@perth 