New York Resident Pleads Guilty to Operating Secret Chinese Police Station in Manhattan

A New York man has admitted to conspiring with the Chinese government to establish and operate an undisclosed overseas police station in Lower Manhattan. The illegal operation, which functioned under the direction of China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS), represents a significant breach of U.S. sovereignty and raises concerns about foreign interference on American soil.

On December 18, 2024, Chen Jinping, 60, pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Alongside co-defendant Lu Jianwang, Chen worked to open the clandestine police station on behalf of the MPS’s Fuzhou branch, occupying an office floor in Manhattan’s Chinatown. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the police station operated without the knowledge or approval of the U.S. government and was intended to extend the PRC’s influence and repress dissent among Chinese diaspora communities in the United States.

In October 2022, the FBI searched the facility, seizing evidence and conducting interviews with both defendants. Investigators later discovered that Chen and Lu had deleted communications with an MPS official in an effort to hinder the investigation. Chen’s plea agreement includes the dismissal of an obstruction of justice charge, while Lu, who has pleaded not guilty to related charges, awaits trial.

This case underscores efforts by U.S. law enforcement to counter transnational repression by foreign governments operating within the country. Chen now faces up to five years in prison for his role in the scheme. The FBI continues to investigate and urges individuals who believe they may be victims of foreign intimidation to report such activities via its online portal.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors.

---