Charges against Chinese agents in a "multi-year campaign of harassment" to bully a Chinese national into returning to China demonstrates the communist country's determination to undermine the United States' judicial system, U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a news release.
More than a dozen Chinese nationals were charged on Oct. 20, when the eight-count indictment against them was unsealed in federal court, according to U.S. Department of Justice news releases issued that day and on Oct. 24. Two were arrested and 13 charged in three separate cases for what federal prosecutors are calling "alleged participation in malign schemes" in the U.S. on behalf of the People's Republic of China.
"As these cases demonstrate, the government of China sought to interfere with the rights and freedoms of individuals in the United States and to undermine our judicial system that protects those rights," Garland said in the Oct. 24 news release. "They did not succeed."
Similar activities will not be tolerated, Garland said.
"The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts by any foreign power to undermine the Rule of Law upon which our democracy is based," Garland said. "We will continue to fiercely protect the rights guaranteed to everyone in our country. And we will defend the integrity of our institutions."
Guanyang An and her father, Quanzhong An, both of Roslyn, New York, were arrested Oct. 20 and charged with conspiring to act as agents of the People's Republic of China, and commit interstate, as well as international stalking and money laundering allegations. The two were alleged to be part of "Operation Fox Hunt," a scheme on behalf of the Chinese government to forcibly repatriate an unidentified Chinese national and his family.
Also charged in the cases were Chinese nationals Tian Peng, Chenghua Chen, Chunde Ming, Xuexin Hou and Weidong Yuan.
Members and agents of the People's Republic of China's intelligence and security organizations are included among those charged.
In addition to attempted forced repatriation, charges also include attempted obstruction of an ongoing criminal prosecution case and a long-term intelligence operation to recruit U.S. citizens to spy on behalf of the Chinese government.
"The actions announced today take place against a backdrop of malign activity from the government of the People's Republic of China that includes espionage, attempts to disrupt our justice system, harassment of individuals and ongoing efforts to steal sensitive U.S. technology," Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said in the Oct. 24 news release. "The men and women of the Department of Justice will continue to defend the United States, our institutions and our people from foreign threats that violate the law – no matter what form they take."
The U.S. government is being represented in the cases by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon, Sara K. Winik and Antoinette N. Rangel, as well as Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Morris of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling the cases' forfeiture matters.
