U.S. Department of Justice officials have outlined a complaint charging two defendants for allegedly opening and operating an illegal overseas police station for the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
The Justice Department alleges in the complaint unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, “Harry” Lu Jianwang, 61, of the Bronx, and Chen Jinping, 59, of Manhattan, conspired to act as agents of the PRC government and obstructed justice by destroying evidence of their communications with a Ministry of Public Security (MPS) official.
The Justice Department alleges the defendants worked together to establish the first overseas police station in the United States on behalf of the Fuzhou branch of the MPS, with authorities indicating the police station closed in the fall of 2022 after those operating it became aware of the FBI’s investigation.
“The PRC, through its repressive security apparatus, established a secret physical presence in New York City to monitor and intimidate dissidents and those critical of its government,” Justice Department National Security Division Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said. “The PRC’s actions go far beyond the bounds of acceptable nation-state conduct. We will resolutely defend the freedoms of all those living in our country from the threat of authoritarian repression.”
According to the Justice Department, if convicted of conspiring to act as agents of the PRC, the defendants face a maximum sentence of five years in prison, while the obstruction of justice charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
“As alleged, the defendants and their co-conspirators were tasked with doing the PRC’s bidding, including helping locate a Chinese dissident living in the United States, and obstructed our investigation by deleting their communications,” U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace said.