A Chino Hills, California man, 64-year-old Yaoning “Mike” Sun, has been arrested and charged with acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and conspiring with another man, Chen Jun, who was sentenced to prison in November for bribery and acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government.
Sun allegedly served as the campaign manager for a local politician, identified only as “Individual 1,” who was elected to a city council position in 2022. Sun and Chen communicated during the campaign to help get Individual 1 elected. After Individual 1’s election, Chen allegedly told Sun to prepare a report on the election, which was sent to Chinese government officials, who responded positively and expressed thanks.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) claims that Chen and Sun continued to work together, including setting up a “core member lunch” in Rowland Heights, California, and Chen instructed Sun to compose a report about the two men “cultivating and assisting” with Individual 1’s success. The report was sent to PRC officials, who praised their efforts.
Sun and Chen also allegedly planned to establish a “US-China Friendship Promotional Association” and discussed launching a “counter-movement” to combat “anti-China forces” in the US. Sun asked the PRC for a budget of $80,000 to fund their efforts.
The DOJ alleges that Sun and Chen planned a trip to China to meet with leadership and set up a meeting with the Chinese consul general in Los Angeles. Sun and Individual 1 eventually traveled to China, according to the complaint.
Sun faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government and up to five years in prison if convicted of conspiring to commit an offense against the US.
