Nyc Man Convicted Of Running Secret Police Station Linked To Chinese Government

A man accused of moving a concealed Chinese spy outpost successful a New York City constabulary position has been convicted of acting arsenic an forbidden overseas agent.

Lu Jianwang, a U.S. national besides known arsenic “Harry Lu,” opened nan position successful little Manhattan successful 2022 connected behalf of China’s Ministry of Public Security. The MPS is China’s superior home rule enforcement and intelligence agency.​

On Wednesday he was convicted connected 1 count of acting arsenic an forbidden supplier of nan authorities of nan People’s Republic of China and 1 count of obstruction of justness for destroying related evidence. Now, he faces up to 30 years down bars.​

“Lu Jianwang utilized a constabulary position successful New York City to target PRC dissidents successful furtherance of nan Chinese government’s governmental agenda,” James C. Barnacle Jr., nan adjunct head successful complaint of nan FBI’s New York Field Office, said.

Beginning successful January 2022, nether orders from an charismatic astatine nan MPS, Lu, his co-defendant Chen Jinping, and others established nan first known overseas constabulary position successful nan United States.

​Located successful Manhattan’s Chinatown, nan constabulary position was portion of a world strategy to create akin sites each complete nan world, prosecutors say. ​

Lu’s MPS handler tasked him pinch collecting accusation connected behalf of nan Chinese government, including nan location of a pro-democracy advocator who had fled China for nan United States.

​In October 2022, nan FBI conducted a hunt of nan police station.

Lu and Chen were interviewed successful relationship pinch nan search, and their phones were seized, pinch authorities noting that WeChat messages betwixt nan brace and their MPS handler had been deleted. ​

A bluish banner reference “Fuzhou Police Overseas Service Station, New York, USA,” was besides recovered from nan site.

​Chen pleaded guilty to colluding to enactment arsenic an supplier of nan PRC successful relationship pinch nan position successful December 2024. He presently awaits sentencing.

​Lu, who besides awaits sentencing, remains free connected bail, according to The Associated Press. He faces 10 years down bars for acting arsenic an forbidden overseas supplier and up to 20 years successful situation for nan obstruction of justice. ​

The 64-year-old’s defense squad claims that nan constabulary position was really a organization halfway wherever group could renew their Chinese driver’s licenses remotely without having to spell backmost to China, amid recreation restrictions related to nan Covid-19 pandemic. ​

Lu’s lawyer, John Carman, besides claimed that group would meet location to play ping-pong and mahjong. He told reporters that he would entreaty nan verdict. ​

“This is not espionage. This is not spying. This is not intelligence gathering,” Carman said. “He wasn’t charged pinch immoderate of that.”​

According to prosecutors, nan MPS has utilized contacts some wrong China and astir nan world to “influence, threaten, and coerce governmental dissidents abroad,” successful an effort to soundlessness them, prosecutors say.​