Queens Man Arrested For Operating As An Illegal Agent Of The Chinese Government In The United States

Press Release Queens Man Arrested For Operating As An Illegal Agent Of The Chinese Government In The United States Wednesday, August 21, 2024 Share FacebookLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. XLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. LinkedInLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. Email For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging YUANJUN TANG, a naturalized citizen of the U.S. and resident of Flushing, Queens, with acting and conspiring to act in the U.S. as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) and making materially false statements to the FBI. TANG was arrested today in Flushing, Queens, and was presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, for years, Yuanjun Tang used his position as a leader among pro-democracy activists in the U.S. to collect information for the Chinese government and to report on people critical of the PRC and events conducted in support of democracy. Today’s charges reflect this Office’s commitment to combating the repressive and illegal use of foreign agents in the U.S. to sow fear and distrust within our communities and subvert our country’s most basic freedoms.” Acting Assistant Director in Charge Christie Curtis said: “Yuanjun Tang conspired with the PRC's Ministry of State Security, operating covertly to further the interests of a foreign power at the expense of our nation's security. This behavior is not just illegal; it is harmful to the sovereignty of the United States, and we will not stand for it. Let this serve as a clear warning: the FBI will hunt down and hold accountable those who seek to betray our country.” As alleged in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1] TANG is a former PRC citizen who was imprisoned in the PRC for his activities as a dissident opposing the one-party authoritarian political system controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (“CCP”), the PRC’s sole ruling party. In or about 2002, TANG defected to Taiwan; he was subsequently granted political asylum in the U.S. and has since resided in New York City, where he has regularly participated in events with fellow PRC dissidents and leads a nonprofit dedicated to promoting democracy in China. Between at least in or about 2018 and in or about June 2023, TANG acted in the U.S. as an agent of the PRC by completing tasks at the direction of the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (“MSS”), which is the PRC’s principal civilian intelligence agency. The MSS is responsible for, among other things, the PRC’s foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, espionage, and political security functions. Specifically, through a particular email account, encrypted chats, text messages, and audio and video calls, TANG regularly received instructions from and reported to an MSS intelligence officer regarding individuals and groups viewed by the PRC as potentially adverse to the PRC’s interests, including prominent U.S.-based Chinese democracy activists and dissidents. He also traveled at least three times for face-to-face meetings with MSS intelligence officers and helped the MSS infiltrate a group chat on an encrypted messaging application used by numerous PRC dissidents and pro-democracy activists to communicate about pro-democracy issues and express criticism of the PRC government. Law enforcement recovered instructions TANG received from the MSS and photographs, videos, and documents that he collected or created for transmission to the MSS from numerous electronic devices and accounts belonging to TANG. 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. * * * TANG, 67, of Flushing, Queens, is charged with one count of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division, and thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, for their assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Trafficking Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Yumi Chong is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation. Contact Nicholas Biase, Shelby Wratchford (212) 637-2600 Updated September 3, 2024 Attachment 24_mag_3056_tang_complaint.pdf [PDF, 371 KB] Topic National Security Component USAO - New York, Southern Press Release Number: 24-275

Press Release Queens Man Arrested For Operating As An Illegal Agent Of The Chinese Government In The United States Wednesday, August 21, 2024 Share FacebookLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. XLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. LinkedInLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. Email For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging YUANJUN TANG, a naturalized citizen of the U.S. and resident of Flushing, Queens, with acting and conspiring to act in the U.S. as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) and making materially false statements to the FBI. TANG was arrested today in Flushing, Queens, and was presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, for years, Yuanjun Tang used his position as a leader among pro-democracy activists in the U.S. to collect information for the Chinese government and to report on people critical of the PRC and events conducted in support of democracy. Today’s charges reflect this Office’s commitment to combating the repressive and illegal use of foreign agents in the U.S. to sow fear and distrust within our communities and subvert our country’s most basic freedoms.” Acting Assistant Director in Charge Christie Curtis said: “Yuanjun Tang conspired with the PRC's Ministry of State Security, operating covertly to further the interests of a foreign power at the expense of our nation's security. This behavior is not just illegal; it is harmful to the sovereignty of the United States, and we will not stand for it. Let this serve as a clear warning: the FBI will hunt down and hold accountable those who seek to betray our country.” As alleged in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1] TANG is a former PRC citizen who was imprisoned in the PRC for his activities as a dissident opposing the one-party authoritarian political system controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (“CCP”), the PRC’s sole ruling party. In or about 2002, TANG defected to Taiwan; he was subsequently granted political asylum in the U.S. and has since resided in New York City, where he has regularly participated in events with fellow PRC dissidents and leads a nonprofit dedicated to promoting democracy in China. Between at least in or about 2018 and in or about June 2023, TANG acted in the U.S. as an agent of the PRC by completing tasks at the direction of the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (“MSS”), which is the PRC’s principal civilian intelligence agency. The MSS is responsible for, among other things, the PRC’s foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, espionage, and political security functions. Specifically, through a particular email account, encrypted chats, text messages, and audio and video calls, TANG regularly received instructions from and reported to an MSS intelligence officer regarding individuals and groups viewed by the PRC as potentially adverse to the PRC’s interests, including prominent U.S.-based Chinese democracy activists and dissidents. He also traveled at least three times for face-to-face meetings with MSS intelligence officers and helped the MSS infiltrate a group chat on an encrypted messaging application used by numerous PRC dissidents and pro-democracy activists to communicate about pro-democracy issues and express criticism of the PRC government. Law enforcement recovered instructions TANG received from the MSS and photographs, videos, and documents that he collected or created for transmission to the MSS from numerous electronic devices and accounts belonging to TANG. 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. * * * TANG, 67, of Flushing, Queens, is charged with one count of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division, and thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, for their assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Trafficking Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Yumi Chong is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation. Contact Nicholas Biase, Shelby Wratchford (212) 637-2600 Updated September 3, 2024 Attachment 24_mag_3056_tang_complaint.pdf [PDF, 371 KB] Topic National Security Component USAO - New York, Southern Press Release Number: 24-275