Judge outlines path to dismissal in firearms case against Williamstown man
By Amanda Burke, The Berkshire Eagle
Dec 18, 2025
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.