In a case that underscores the growing concerns about foreign interference on U.S. soil, Chen Jinping, a 60-year-old New York resident, pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an illegal agent for the Chinese government. The case reveals a covert operation involving the establishment of an undeclared overseas police station in Lower Manhattan, which served as an arm of China’s Ministry of Public Security.
This development is the latest in a series of U.S. efforts to curb transnational repression and ensure the protection of diaspora communities from authoritarian regimes. The clandestine police station, operated under the guise of a community organization, has been described by federal officials as a brazen affront to American sovereignty.
The secret police station, located in the heart of Manhattan’s Chinatown, represented a troubling escalation in the People’s Republic of China’s efforts to surveil, harass, and intimidate its critics abroad. According to federal prosecutors, the station was directly linked to the Fuzhou branch of the MPS and operated with the intention of monitoring members of the Chinese diaspora, particularly those critical of the Communist Party.
“This case is a stark reminder of the insidious efforts taken by the PRC government to threaten, harass, and intimidate those who speak against their Communist Party,” said Robert Wells, Executive Assistant Director of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “These blatant violations will not be tolerated on U.S. soil.”
The investigation revealed that Chen and his co-defendant, Lu Jianwang, conspired to establish the first known overseas police station in the United States without notifying the U.S. government. The station, which occupied an entire floor of an office building, closed in the fall of 2022 following an FBI investigation.
During a search of the facility, agents found evidence of Chen and Lu’s communications with a PRC official, much of which had been deliberately deleted. Both defendants admitted to destroying the communications after learning of the investigation, leading to charges of obstruction of justice in addition to conspiracy to act as illegal agents.
While Chen has now pleaded guilty, Lu has maintained his innocence and is awaiting trial.
Chen now faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison under the terms of his plea agreement. Prosecutors have agreed to drop the obstruction of justice charge against him in exchange for his guilty plea. The sentence will ultimately be determined by a federal judge, taking into account Chen’s cooperation and the severity of the crime.
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