A New York City resident was convicted on Wednesday of running spy operations for China from a Manhattan office building.
Lu “Harry” Jianwang, 64, was convicted of acting as an illegal foreign agent and obstructing justice by deleting WeChat messages that prosecutors said included orders from Beijing to harass and intimidate pro-democracy dissidents. Prosecutors said he set up an outpost in Manhattan’s Chinatown neighborhood in 2022, after attending an event in Fujian province where China’s Ministry of Public Security announced it was opening 30 secret police stations around the world. A U.S. citizen for decades, Lu now awaits sentencing and faces up to 30 years in prison.
“A police station operating in New York City at the direction of the Chinese government has been exposed, its sinister purpose disrupted, and its founder held accountable for blatantly disregarding the law and our country’s sovereignty,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a statement. “Our Office remains resolute in protecting the rights of people seeking freedom from repression and speaking out to bring democracy, reform, and human rights to China.”…