Ziheng “Tony” Fang has been arrested on a federal charge of false information and hoaxes following an investigation into threatening messages found at San Jose State University.
The US Department of Justice said Fang, a 30-year-old graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in data science, made an initial appearance in federal court in San Jose on 10 July.
A criminal complaint and court documents were filed on 9 July in the Northern District of California. Prosecutors allege that Fang wrote a message discovered in a men’s restroom on 5 November 2025 warning of a mass bombing and displaying multiple swastika symbols.
According to the complaint, San Jose State University Police Department personnel recorded more than 20 hateful or threatening messages in men’s and gender-neutral restrooms around the campus from October 2024. Several allegedly specified dates for attacks or referred to bombs, knives and shootings.
The Justice Department said Fang’s fingerprint was found on the November message. Key-card records allegedly showed that he accessed buildings in the days before messages were discovered in 16 of the 18 incidents involving controlled entry. Surveillance footage also allegedly showed him entering or leaving relevant restroom areas before some messages were found.
The federal offence of false information and hoaxes is set out in 18 U.S.C. § 1038. The provision covers conduct intended to convey false or misleading information that may reasonably be believed and indicates that specified criminal activity has occurred, is occurring or will occur. Prosecutors must prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
Defence counsel is likely to examine the attribution of the charged message, the fingerprint and access evidence, the admissibility of material concerning uncharged incidents and whether the prosecution can establish the required intent.
U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Scott Schelble, special agent in charge of the FBI San Francisco Field Office, announced the arrest.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Griswold is prosecuting with Trial Attorney Connor Cheadle. The FBI investigated with assistance from the San Jose State University Police Department. Fang was in federal custody when the Justice Department issued its release. A criminal complaint is an allegation, and he is presumed innocent unless proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Repeated threats at San Jose State University create immediate legal and operational pressures. In-house counsel must coordinate referrals to law enforcement, preserve key-card and surveillance evidence, review emergency alerts and advise on class cancellations or remote teaching without treating allegations as established fact.
Criminal practitioners will need to separate the single federal charge against Fang from the wider pattern of messages described in the complaint. University counsel should ensure that incident-response procedures preserve evidence, record the reasons for operational decisions and support clear communications with students and staff.