Manhattan Resident Pleads Guilty to Aiding Covert Chinese Police Station in New York City

A resident of Manhattan has confessed to aiding in the establishment of a covert police station in New York City for the Chinese government. Chen Jinping, aged 60, admitted guilt to a charge of conspiracy to act as an agent for a foreign government in Brooklyn federal court. This plea was entered on Wednesday.

Matthew Olsen, an assistant attorney general with the US Department of Justice, stated that Chen acknowledged his involvement in "audaciously establishing an undeclared police station" in Manhattan. Chen also attempted to hide this effort when approached by the FBI. "This illegal police station was not opened in the interest of public safety, but to further the nefarious and repressive aims of the PRC in direct violation of American sovereignty," he said, referring to the People's Republic of China.

Secret Police Station Operations

Prosecutors revealed that Chen and his co-defendant, Lu Jianwang, initiated and managed a local branch of China's Ministry of Public Security in Manhattan's Chinatown from early 2022. The office occupied an entire floor and provided basic services like renewing Chinese driver's licenses. However, it also identified pro-democracy activists residing in the US.

The clandestine Chinese police operation was closed down in late 2022 during an FBI investigation. In an attempt to obstruct this federal probe, Chen and Lu deleted communications with a Chinese government official from their phones, according to prosecutors.

Global Presence and Denials

China is suspected of operating similar secretive police outposts across North America, Europe, and other regions with Chinese communities. The country denies these are police stations, claiming they primarily offer citizen services like renewing driver's licenses.

The arrest of Chen and Lu in April 2023 was part of a broader effort by the Justice Department to combat "transnational repression." This involves foreign governments like China identifying, intimidating, and silencing dissidents within the US.

Legal Proceedings and Consequences

Chen faces a potential five-year prison sentence at his hearing on May 30. Meanwhile, Lu is scheduled to return to court in February. Prosecutors noted that Lu had longstanding ties with Chinese law enforcement officials.

Over time, Lu allegedly assisted in harassing a Chinese fugitive living in the US and worked to locate a pro-democracy activist in California for China's government. Lawyers for both Chen and Lu did not immediately respond to requests for comments on Wednesday.