New York man found guilty of acting as an unregistered agent of China

"Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said Lu Jianwang, 64, should have alerted the US attorney general that he was a Chinese agent when he helped open the so-called police station in 2022. They also said he helped China's government locate a pro-democracy activist living in California. Lu was arrested in April 2023. He had pleaded not guilty to the three felony charges he faced: conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent, acting as an unregistered agent of China and obstruction of justice."

"A jury in Brooklyn federal court reached the verdict after a weeklong trial. Lu faces up to 30 years in prison. May today's verdict send a message to other foreign agents the FBI maintains its unwavering resolve to reveal and disrupt the clandestine operations of adversarial nations, said FBI assistant director in charge James Barnacle in an announcement of the verdict."

"The justice department has in recent years been ramping up inquiries into what it calls transnational repression by US adversaries such as China and Iran to intimidate political opponents living in the United States. China's government has called the charges in the case fabricated and part of an effort to smear the country's image. Beijing 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."

"In her opening statement on 6 May, prosecutor Lindsey Oken said Lu a naturalized US citizen had ties to Chinese law enforcement and met with officials who tasked him with opening the station during a trip to China in 2022. Oken said Lu ran the station out of a nondescript office building in Chinatown. She said he started out by helping Chinese nationals living in New York with renewing"

Lu Jianwang, 64, was found guilty in Brooklyn federal court of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government. Prosecutors said he helped open a so-called police station in Manhattan’s Chinatown in 2022 without notifying the US attorney general. Prosecutors also said he assisted China in locating a pro-democracy activist living in California. Lu was arrested in April 2023 and faced three felony charges, including conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent, acting as an unregistered agent of China, and obstruction of justice. The jury reached a verdict after a weeklong trial. Lu faces up to 30 years in prison. The FBI said the case reflects resolve to disrupt clandestine operations by adversarial nations, while China denied the allegations as fabricated and claimed such centers are run by local volunteers outside China.

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