Chen Jinping, a 60-year-old resident of New York, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), according to an announcement made by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) today.
The department has charged Chen and his co-defendant, “Harry” Lu Jianwang, for their involvement in the opening and operation of an undisclosed overseas police station on behalf of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
The DOJ revealed that, under the guidance of the MPS, the defendants played a crucial role in setting up the inaugural overseas police station in the United States. This police station is situated in a Manhattan Chinatown office building.
The department confirmed that the station, which closed in the fall of 2022, occupied an entire floor.
The U.S. government confirmed that neither defendant had disclosed their secret efforts to establish a police station on U.S. soil.
In October 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) carried out a search of the police station. The DOJ stated that they obtained a court-authorized warrant and confiscated phones as well as conducted interviews with both defendants.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed that the defendants had deleted communications with an MPS official, as discovered by the agents.
During the follow-up interviews, both defendants confessed to deleting the communications once they became aware of the FBI investigation. This action hindered the department’s efforts to uncover the complete extent of the MPS’s involvement.
The FBI has made it clear that it is dedicated to fighting undercover foreign operations within the United States.
“Today’s admission of guilt serves as a powerful reminder of the relentless tactics employed by the Chinese government to intimidate and silence individuals who dare to criticize the Communist Party,” emphasized Robert Wells, Executive Assistant Director of the FBI’s National Security Branch.
“These flagrant violations will not be tolerated within the United States.”
