U.S. Attorney Breon S. Peace | U.S. Department of Justice
Chen Jinping, a resident of Manhattan, has pleaded guilty in a Brooklyn federal court to conspiring to act as an agent for the People's Republic of China (PRC). The charges relate to his involvement in establishing and operating an undisclosed overseas police station in Lower Manhattan on behalf of the PRC's Ministry of Public Security (MPS). United States District Judge Nina R. Morrison presided over the proceedings. Chen faces a potential sentence of up to five years in prison.
The announcement was made by Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge at the FBI's New York Field Office.
"A priority of my Office has been to counteract the malign activities of foreign governments that violate our nation’s sovereignty by targeting local diaspora communities in the United States," stated United States Attorney Peace. "Today, a participant in a transnational repression scheme who worked to establish a secret police station in the middle of New York City on behalf of the national police force of the People’s Republic of China has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to act as an illegal agent."
Assistant Attorney General Olsen remarked, "Today’s guilty plea holds the defendant accountable for his brazen efforts to operate an undeclared overseas police station on behalf of the PRC’s national police force — a clear affront to American sovereignty and danger to our community that will not be tolerated."
FBI Assistant Director Dennehy added, "Today, Chen Jinping admitted to his role in audaciously establishing an undeclared police station in the heart of New York City and attempting to conceal the effort when approached by FBI New York."
Court documents revealed that Chen Jinping and co-defendant Lu Jianwang conspired as illegal agents for the PRC government and obstructed justice by destroying evidence related to their communications with an MPS official. The clandestine police station occupied an entire floor in Chinatown before closing in fall 2022.
In October 2022, FBI agents searched the site under judicial authorization and seized phones from both defendants. It was found that communications between them and an MPS official had been deleted.
Lu Jianwang has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. The case is being managed by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon and Antoinette N. Rangel, with support from Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee.
The FBI encourages victims or those targeted by foreign governments within U.S. borders to report such incidents via their dedicated website.
