A Manhattan man entered a guilty plea on Wednesday, Dec. 18, for his role in operating the first known secret police station in New York. The Department of Justice said it was opened on behalf of the Chinese government in the spring of 2022.

The People’s Republic of China used Chen Jinping and his co-defendant, Lu Jianwang, to act as agents for the Ministry of Public Security.

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The American citizens set up above a ramen shop in Manhattan’s Chinatown, surveilling Chinese nationals living in New York City. Federal authorities said the pair sent information about the Chinese community, including pro-democracy nationals.

In a statement, the Department of Justice’s Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen wrote, “This illegal police station was not opened in the interest of public safety, but to further the nefarious and repressive aims of the PRC in direct violation of American sovereignty.”

The makeshift police station was shut down by the FBI in the fall of 2022. The duo reportedly made attempts to hide evidence during the probe, including deleting text messages with a Chinese government official.

Chen faces up to five years in prison for conspiracy to illegally aid a foreign government as an agent. Lu has not admitted guilt and is awaiting a trial. He’s also accused of harassing a Chinese citizen to return back to China.

Beijing denies any wrongdoing, it called the surveillance facilities “service stations” designed to help Chinese nationals who live abroad. Across the globe, the Chinese government is believed to have at least 100 of these stations in 53 different countries.