A whole floor of a building in New York City was once functioning as an “illegal police station” for the government of the People’s Republic of China, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
New York City resident Chen Jinping, 60, on Wednesday pleaded guilty in connection with the secret police station in Lower Manhattan’s Chinatown, according to a release from the DOJ.
“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,” the release quotes Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
On Wednesday, Olsen said the federal Department of Justice “will continue to pursue anyone who attempts to aid the PRC’s efforts to extend their repressive reach into the United States.”
The police station closed in 2022 after an FBI search, the release says. Jinping his co-defendant Lu Jianwang – both U.S. citizens ‒ were initially arrested on April 17, 2023. (Jianwang has not pleaded guilty to the same charge or for obstruction of justice, according to the DOJ.)
Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch said the case is a part of China’s larger efforts to “threaten, harass, and intimidate those who speak against their Communist Party.”
Lin Jian, a spokesperson at the Chinese foreign ministry, said there are “no so-called secret police stations” at a recent news conference.
“(China) has always strictly abided by international law and respected the judicial sovereignty of all countries,” Jian said.
The Chinese government has said there are centers outside China run by local volunteers, not Chinese police officers, that aim to help Chinese citizens renew documents and offer other services. Beijing has accused Washington of fabricating the charges to smear China’s image, Reuters reports.
Jinping faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, according to the Department of Justice. USA TODAY has contacted his attorney for comment.
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“These blatant violations will not be tolerated on U.S. soil,” Wells said. “The FBI remains committed to preserving the rights and freedoms of all people in our country and will defend against transnational repression at every front.”
Contributing: Reuters
Contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@usatoday.com. Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez.
