In Chino Hills, California, a man has been taken into custody for reportedly functioning as an unauthorized representative of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) while also holding the responsibility of being the campaign manager for a local official who won the election in 2022.
The arrest of 64-year-old Yaoning “Mike” Sun was carried out by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday. Sun faces charges of operating as an illegal agent of China and collaborating with another individual, Chen Jun, who was convicted of bribery and engaging as an unlawful agent of the Chinese government back in November.
Allegedly, based on a legal complaint filed on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Sun was involved as the campaign manager for a politician positioned in Southern California, known only as “Individual 1,” in the complaint. “Individual 1” successfully secured a seat on the city council of an undisclosed city in 2022.
Sun and Chen communicated during the campaign to help get the individual elected.
China’s President Xi Jinping talks after joining a group photo during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
While the two men continued their efforts in the U.S., Sun allegedly asked the PRC to provide them with a budget of $80,000.
The complaint alleges that Chen and Sun spoke about a planned trip to China to meet with “leadership.” It also claims Sun was directed by Chen to set up a meeting with the Chinese consul general in Los Angeles. In August 2023, Sun and Individual 1 eventually traveled to China, the complaint alleges.
Sun could face up to 10 years in prison for acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government if he is convicted.
He also faces a maximum penalty of five years behind bars for conspiring to commit an offense against the U.S.
