On June 4, 2014, He was placed under investigation by the Shangrao Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission for "serious violations of laws and regulations". The internal party investigation concluded that he took bribes, abused power, and committed adultery; he was promptly expelled from the Communist Party of China and his case moved to Criminal prosecution. He was tried at the Intermediate People's Court in Jingdezhen on charges of bribery. In June 2015, he was convicted of taking bribes worth some 2.49 million yuan, and sentenced to eleven years in prison.