New York man convicted of operating secret Chinese police station in NYC

A New York man was convicted Wednesday of helping run a secret Chinese government-linked police station in Manhattan used to monitor dissidents, federal prosecutors said.

Lu Jianwang, a 64-year-old U.S. citizen from the Bronx, also known as “Harry Lu,” was found guilty by a jury on two counts of obstructing justice for operating an overseas police station in New York City on behalf of China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and destroying evidence.

According to prosecutors, Lu and co-defendant Chen Jinping acted as illegal agents of the Chinese government starting in 2022 and established what authorities described as the first known overseas Chinese police station in the United States.

Chen pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiracy to act as an agent of the People’s Republic of China in connection with the operation.

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Prosecutors said the station operated out of an office building in Lower Manhattan, where investigators found a blue banner that read “Fuzhou Police Overseas Service Station, New York, USA.”

US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr. said that the conviction disrupted the Chinese government’s operation on American soil.

“A police station in New York City operating under the direction of the Chinese government has been exposed, its evil purpose disrupted, and its founder held accountable for his blatant disregard for the law and our country’s sovereignty,” the statement said.

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Supporters of Lu Jianwang, also known as Harry Lu, stand outside the federal courthouse before the opening of his trial in New York on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

“Our office remains committed to protecting the rights of people who seek freedom from oppression and speak out to bring democracy, reform and human rights to China,” he added.

James C. Barnacle Jr., assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office, said the decision should send a message to foreign agents operating in the United States.

“Today’s decision sends a message to other foreign agents that the FBI remains unwaveringly committed to exposing and disrupting the covert operations of hostile nations,” he said in a statement.

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Prosecutors said the Manhattan outpost was part of broader efforts by the Chinese government to monitor and intimidate dissidents abroad, including in the United States.

According to the DOJ, Lu collected information for the Chinese government, including helping locate a pro-democracy activist who had fled China to the United States.

The FBI searched the police station in October 2022 and seized phones belonging to Lu and Chen. Investigators later discovered that WeChat messages between the men and their contacts in the Chinese government had been deleted.

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Lu Jianwang waits to enter the federal courthouse in New York on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Prosecutors said Lu admitted to FBI agents that he set up the Manhattan police station, communicated with his handler via WeChat and deleted the messages.

Lu spoke briefly with supporters outside the federal court after the verdict but refused to answer reporters’ questions.

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His lawyer argued that the police station functioned as a community center where Chinese residents could renew their driver’s licenses and gather socially.

“This is not espionage. This is not espionage. This is not intelligence gathering,” attorney John Carman said outside the courthouse. “He wasn’t accused of any of this.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.