A U.S. citizen has pleaded guilty to operating a covert Chinese police station in New York City's Chinatown, according to a report.
The existence of secret police stations tied to China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) was first brought to light in 2022, with at least 100 such outposts reported globally.
These stations allegedly provide services like license renewals while also surveilling and harassing Chinese dissidents abroad.
Chen Jinping, along with co-defendant Lu Jianwang, opened one such station in early 2022, according to The Guardian.
The FBI began investigating the site after reports of its dual purpose emerged, raiding it in October 2022. Chen and Lu were subsequently arrested in April 2023.
On December 13, 2024, Chen pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government.
Prosecutors revealed that Chen worked under MPS directives to assist in locating a pro-democracy activist in California and attempted to suppress information about the station's existence.
Chen faces up to five years in prison at his sentencing next year. Meanwhile, Lu Jianwang has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial.
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