New York resident arrested for spying for China, misleading FBI
Image represents a Chinese spy (Representative image)
A US resident has been charged and arrested for allegedly spying for China on pro-Democracy activists and dissidents whilst making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Justice (DoJ) said.
The accused, identified as 67-year-old Yuanjun Tang, is a resident of Queens, New York. He acted as a Chinese agent between 2019 and 2023 under the direction of China'sMinistry of State Security (MSS), its principal intelligence agency. Among either things, MSS is also responsible for espionage and political security functions.
Tang targeted US-based Chinese dissidents that Beijing views as potentially adverse. After collecting information on such individuals and groups, the data was delivered to the Politburo. Notably, he also helped MSS infiltrate a group chat on a messaging platform that was used by these dissidents.
Tang used an email account where he received regular instructions from his Chinese overlords regarding the targets to be tailed. He also travelled abroad three times for face-to-face meetingswith MSS intelligence officers.
After arresting Tang, the law enforcement agencies recovered the numerous electronic devices and accounts that he used to communicate.
"Tang also made materially false statements to the FBI. He falsely claimed that he was no longer able to access an email account through which he had communicated with his MSS handler through draft emails," DoJ added.
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What has Tang been charged with?
The NY resident has been charged with one count of conspiring to act asan agent of a foreign government without notifying the attorney general, which carried a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
He has also been charged withone count of acting as an agent of a foreign government and one count ofmaking false statements, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
A federal district court will hear his case and if convicted, he will be handed a sentence, considering the USSentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI is investigating the case.
The authorities informed that Tang previously had Chinese citizenship and was imprisoned in the country forhis activities as a dissident opposing the one-party authoritarian political system of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
(With inputs from agencies)