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Ex-Dean at University, on Trial for Stealing Over $1 Million, Is Found Dead at Home Ex-Dean of St. John’s, on Trial for Stealing Over $1 Million, Is Found Dead at Home
(about 2 hours later)
Hers was the kind of rise through the academic ranks that could have epitomized the American dream, if not for the way she crashed. Fresh from Taiwan in 1975, she enrolled at St. John’s University as a student in Asian studies, becoming a dean in just five years and, soon after, winning the ear of the university’s top echelon as she raised more than $20 million for the school.Hers was the kind of rise through the academic ranks that could have epitomized the American dream, if not for the way she crashed. Fresh from Taiwan in 1975, she enrolled at St. John’s University as a student in Asian studies, becoming a dean in just five years and, soon after, winning the ear of the university’s top echelon as she raised more than $20 million for the school.
But the dean, Cecilia Chang, fought her way up driven by the same ambition and greed that would pull her down, accused of stealing more than $1 million from the school and using foreign scholarship students as her personal servants, prosecutors said during a three-week trial in Federal District Court in Brooklyn.But the dean, Cecilia Chang, fought her way up driven by the same ambition and greed that would pull her down, accused of stealing more than $1 million from the school and using foreign scholarship students as her personal servants, prosecutors said during a three-week trial in Federal District Court in Brooklyn.
Hours after Dr. Chang took the stand in a desperate attempt to try to explain her actions, she was found dead in her multimillion-dollar home in Queens, one of the prizes of her swift ascent. Investigators said they believed she had committed suicide.Hours after Dr. Chang took the stand in a desperate attempt to try to explain her actions, she was found dead in her multimillion-dollar home in Queens, one of the prizes of her swift ascent. Investigators said they believed she had committed suicide.
Her lawyers had tried to reach Dr. Chang on Tuesday, and when they could not they called her son and suggested he call the police. He did, and officers entered the home and discovered her body. Dr. Chang’s lawyers had tried to reach her on Tuesday, and when they could not, they called her son and suggested he call the police. He did, and officers entered the home and discovered her body.
The beginning of the end came in 2010, when Dr. Chang was arrested and charged in the case. Prosecutors said she had used her position to recruit students to the school, promising them scholarships but threatening to kick them out if they did not perform her household chores, including washing her underwear by hand. The beginning of the end came in 2010, when Dr. Chang was arrested and charged in the case. Prosecutors said she had used her position to recruit students to the school, promising them scholarships but threatening to expel them if they did not perform her household chores, including washing her underwear by hand.
They said she had created bank accounts in the students’ names, shuffling tens of thousands of dollars of money around that would end up in her pocket. They said she had created bank accounts in the students’ names, shuffling around tens of thousands of dollars that would ultimately end up in her pocket.
The government assembled a case so strong that Dr. Chang’s lawyers could hardly offer a defense in opening statements. She had taken the money, her lawyer said, but it was owed to her. The students had performed her chores, but not under duress.The government assembled a case so strong that Dr. Chang’s lawyers could hardly offer a defense in opening statements. She had taken the money, her lawyer said, but it was owed to her. The students had performed her chores, but not under duress.
Prosecutors called students and university officials to the stand, who piled mounds of incriminating evidence atop Dr. Chang. Dr. Chang took the stand in her own defense, against the advice of her lawyers, and her testimony was the only defense evidence offered before her death. The presiding judge in the case, Sterling Johnson Jr., declared a mistrial after her death was confirmed. Prosecutors called students and university officials to the stand, and they piled mounds of incriminating evidence atop Dr. Chang. She took the stand in her own defense, against the advice of her lawyers, providing the only defense evidence offered before her death. The presiding judge in the case, Sterling Johnson Jr., declared a mistrial after her death was confirmed.
The case was a reminder that often trials are often where human drama plays out writ small. A courtroom tends to be an orderly, civilized place where jurors hear testimony about things that happened in the past. But beyond the metal detectors and the security guards, life can be much more grisly. The case was a reminder that trials are often where human dramas play out writ small. A courtroom tends to be an orderly, civilized place where jurors hear testimony about things that happened in the past. But beyond the metal detectors and the security guards, life can be much more grisly.
The disconnect can be stark. Dr. Chang’s defense lawyers, whose acrimony toward their client was well known, were seen at one point laughing in the courtroom on Tuesday as everyone tried to figure out what would happen to the case. Dr. Chang’s defense lawyers released a statement on Tuesday. “Cecilia Chang dedicated 30 years of her life to St. John’s University,” it said. “She was a prolific fund-raiser and tireless advocate for her beloved Asian Studies Program at the University. Her death today is a sad ending to a complex human drama.”
They later released a statement. Dominic Scianna, a spokesman for the university, said: “St. John’s University was saddened to learn this morning of the death of Cecilia Chang. We ask the entire St. John’s community to pray for her and her family.”
“Cecilia Chang dedicated 30 years of her life to St. John’s University,” it said. “She was a prolific fund-raiser and tireless advocate for her beloved Asian Studies Program at the University. Her death today is a sad ending to a complex human drama.” Separately, Judge Johnson, known for filling his sixth floor courtroom with levity, did not scale back when the news turned grim.
Dominic Scianna, a spokesman for the University, said, “St. John’s University was saddened to learn this morning of the death of Cecilia Chang. We ask the entire St. John’s community to pray for her and her family.”
Separately, the presiding judge, Sterling Johnson Jr., known for filling his sixth floor courtroom with levity, did not scale back when the news turned grim.
“Sayonara,” Judge Johnson said, adding that Dr. Chang had gotten everything off her chest in the previous day’s testimony. “We never know how an individual handles the pressure.” He called the turn of events a “Shakespearean tragedy.”“Sayonara,” Judge Johnson said, adding that Dr. Chang had gotten everything off her chest in the previous day’s testimony. “We never know how an individual handles the pressure.” He called the turn of events a “Shakespearean tragedy.”
At one point the prosecutors hugged each other and the investigators who had built the case. At one point, the prosecutors hugged each other and the investigators in the case.
As the drama unfolded in the courtroom, Dr. Chang’s son, Steven, the subject of much courtroom testimony about the chores his mother’s students had performed for him, was outside of his mother’s house being prevented from entering by the police. As the drama unfolded in the courtroom, Dr. Chang’s son, Steven, the subject of much courtroom testimony about the chores his mother’s students had performed for him, was outside of his mother’s house, prevented from entering by the police.
The court was waiting to hear from the police about whether the son had seen the body yet. Had the son seen the body? The judge was satisfied that she had killed herself after the police said they had shown a photo of Dr. Chang to a neighbor who said it was her. The court was waiting to hear from the police about whether the son had seen the body. The judge was satisfied that she had killed herself after the police said they had shown a photo of Dr. Chang to a neighbor, who said it was her.
The judge did not immediately inform the jurors of what happened, keeping them in a separate room until the death was confirmed. The judge told the jurors in private, “Dr. Chang is no longer with us,” according to several jurors who were present at the conversation. The judge did not immediately inform the jurors of what happened, keeping them in a separate room until the death was confirmed. In private, he told them, “Dr. Chang is no longer with us,” according to several jurors who were present at the conversation.
All said that came as a shock. All said the news came as a surprise.
“My first thought was that she fled the country,” said Frank, a juror from Nassau County who did not want to give his last name. “My first thought was that she fled the country,” said a juror from Nassau County who did not want to give his full name.
“We’re shocked,” said Joan Bophy, from Staten Island. “And it’s a shame. She probably punished herself more than anybody would.” “We’re shocked,” said Joan Bophy, a juror from Staten Island. “And it’s a shame. She probably punished herself more than anybody would.”
They reflected on her testimony from the day before, searching for signs that might have provided clues about what was coming. Some said she did not look right and thought it strange that she had seemed to implicate herself in the previous day’s testimony. Some said she did not look right and thought it strange that she had seemed to implicate herself in her testimony.
“You could see she was stressed, really stressed,” said Ms. Bophy. “She was digging herself a deeper hole.” “You could see she was stressed, really stressed,” Ms. Bophy said. “She was digging herself a deeper hole.”
Some learned for the first time about an article in The Daily News on Monday reporting that Dr. Chang was a suspect in her husband’s murder more than 20 years ago.
A person with knowledge of that case said that after they were divorced, Dr. Chang’s husband was shot and lived for 10 days before dying. He told investigators before he died that he recognized the person who shot him, and said his wife must have paid the person to do it.
Detectives were unable to corroborate his statement, which alone was not sufficient to support a case, and she was thus never charged. Dr. Chang saw the report before she testified.