Verdict in New York: Man Convicted of Running Secret Chinese Police Station in the Heart of Manhattan

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A Guilty Verdict That Sends a Clear Message

On May 13, 2026, a federal jury in Brooklyn delivered its verdict: Lu Jianwang, a 64-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, is guilty of operating as an unregistered foreign agent of China and of obstructing justice. The weeklong trial in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York had been closely watched by law enforcement agencies, civil rights advocates, and diplomatic observers alike.

Lu was acquitted on a third charge — conspiracy to act as a foreign agent — but the two convictions carry serious consequences. He now faces up to 30 years in prison.

What Was the "Secret Police Station"?

The operation at the center of the case was no ordinary community center. According to federal prosecutors, Lu helped establish a so-called "Fuzhou Police Overseas Service Station" in early 2022. It was run out of the offices of the America ChangLe Association — a Fujianese-American community organization on East Broadway in Manhattan's Chinatown — and operated under direct guidance from China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

Jurors were shown a large banner from the location that read: "Fuzhou Police Overseas Service Station, New York USA."

On the surface, the station appeared to offer mundane services: helping Chinese nationals renew driver's licenses remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, or organizing social activities like ping-pong and mahjong. But prosecutors painted a very different picture underneath.

Beijing's Long Arm — Inside the United States

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Oken told the jury that Lu traveled to his native Fujian province in early 2022, where he attended an official launch ceremony for a global network of "Overseas 110" police service stations — a program announced by China's Ministry of Public Security. Upon returning to the United States, Lu wasted no time setting up the New York outpost.

The station's activities went well beyond paperwork. Prosecutors said Lu agreed to help Chinese authorities track down a pro-democracy activist living in California. While no physical harm to that individual was alleged, the mere act of identifying and locating political dissidents for a foreign government is a serious federal offense.

Lu also reportedly monitored and provided information on other members of the overseas Chinese community at the direction of Chinese state security officials.

The Deleted Messages — Key Evidence

A critical piece of evidence came from Lu's own phone. Prosecutors said that on the eve of an FBI raid on the station in October 2022, Lu deleted large volumes of WeChat messages — China's dominant messaging platform — that documented his direct communications with his handler at China's Ministry of Public Security. The FBI was nonetheless able to recover those deleted records.

Those recovered messages showed Lu was a member of a WeChat group that included MPS officials from Fuzhou, including his primary contact. The deletion itself formed a key basis for the obstruction of justice conviction.

Falun Gong Practitioners Also in Beijing's Crosshairs

Court evidence revealed that Lu's ties to Chinese state security dated back well before 2022. According to prosecutors, Lu had previously been involved in organizing efforts to counter Falun Gong practitioners who were demonstrating against Chinese leader Xi Jinping — mobilizing members of his association to confront the peaceful protesters.

In 2018, Lu received requests from a Chinese security contact asking him to inquire whether two specific individuals in the United States practiced Falun Gong — also known as Falun Dafa. The practice, a spiritual discipline rooted in the principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance, has been brutally suppressed by China's Communist Party since 1999. Millions of practitioners have faced arrest, forced labor, torture, and other severe human rights abuses at the hands of the CCP regime.

The fact that Beijing was using its overseas network to identify Falun Gong practitioners on U.S. soil underscores the reach and intent of its transnational repression apparatus.

A Co-Defendant Already Pleaded Guilty

Lu was not alone in this operation. His co-defendant, Chen Jinping, was arrested alongside him in April 2023. Chen pleaded guilty in December 2024 to conspiring to act as an unregistered Chinese agent and is awaiting sentencing.

China Denies Everything

Beijing has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Chinese officials have described the charges as "fabricated" and claimed the overseas centers are run by local volunteers — not police officers — to help Chinese citizens with routine administrative tasks.

This explanation has been firmly rejected by U.S. federal prosecutors, the FBI, and independent investigators who have documented the network's operations.

A Pattern Exposed — And a Broader Crackdown

The New York case did not emerge in a vacuum. In 2022, the Spain-based human rights organization Safeguard Defenders published a landmark investigation documenting that China had established dozens of such "overseas service stations" across multiple countries. The report described how these outposts functioned as tools of political coercion — pressuring dissidents, fugitives, and critics of the CCP to return to China or fall silent.

That report triggered investigations in multiple countries and helped launch the U.S. federal probe that eventually led to Lu's arrest.

The Justice Department has significantly expanded its focus on what it calls "transnational repression" — the practice by authoritarian regimes like China and Iran of pursuing and intimidating political opponents who have fled abroad.

FBI: "Unwavering Resolve"

FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle made no attempt to soften the message following the verdict. He stated that the conviction should serve as a warning to any foreign agents operating on American soil — that U.S. law enforcement is committed to exposing and dismantling such covert operations, regardless of how they are disguised.

Lu's defense attorney, John Carman, said his client was "disappointed" by the verdict and called his motives "pure." Carman announced that Lu intends to appeal the conviction.

What Comes Next

The Lu Jianwang case is now considered a landmark ruling in the legal battle against Beijing's global influence operations. Legal analysts expect it to be referenced in future prosecutions involving CCP-linked networks operating on foreign soil.

For now, Lu awaits sentencing. The man who once presented himself as a community leader stands convicted of serving as an instrument of Communist China's security apparatus — in the middle of New York City.

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Sources:

1. South China Morning Post – Chinese-American found guilty in New York 'secret police station' case: https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3353484/chinese-american-found-guilty-new-york-overseas-police-station-case
2. CP24 / Associated Press – Jury convicts man accused of running secret Chinese spy outpost in New York City: https://www.cp24.com/news/world/2026/05/13/jury-convicts-man-accused-of-running-secret-chinese-spy-outpost-in-new-york-city/
3. Safeguard Defenders – "110 Overseas" investigation report (2022): https://safeguarddefenders.com/en/blog/110-overseas-exposing-chinas-transnational-repression-police-stations
4. U.S. Department of Justice – Original arrest announcement (April 2023): https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-individuals-charged-operating-illegal-overseas-police-station-behalf-peoples-republic

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