ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Chen Jinping, a 60-year-old Manhattan resident and U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty on December 18 to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. Until 2022, he operated a secret, undeclared community center in Chinatown that, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI, was actually a police station.
Chen established the first known overseas police station in the U.S. Federal officials said—and Chen admitted—that it answered to China's Ministry of Public Security. From here, he renewed Chinese driver’s licenses, helped organize protests, and identified dissident targets of the Chinese government.
The Ministry of Public Security set it up to serve Chinese nationals who couldn't get home to renew official documents during the pandemic. Operations shut down after the site started receiving news coverage.
U.S. law requires foreign agents to register with the U.S. government, which Chen did not. The FBI launched an investigation into the Chinatown station in 2022 and found evidence of deleted communications with the Chinese government official who was overseeing the operation.
He faces up to five years in prison after admitting that he conspired to act as an agent for the government of the People's Republic of China. As part of Chen's plea deal, officials dismissed an obstruction of justice charge against him. Meanwhile, co-conspirator Lu Jianwang of the Bronx has pleaded not guilty to all charges and awaits trial.
According to the Associated Press, similar operations in Canada, Italy, and Spain were linked to the Chinese government. Despite Chinese denials, international watchdog groups have linked these stations to surveillance and harassment of Chinese refugees.
