FBI agents have arrested a man from Chino Hills, California, on charges of acting as an illegal agent for the People's Republic of China (PRC). Yaoning "Mike" Sun, 64, was detained without incident and is set to appear in United States District Court in Los Angeles.
Sun faces charges of acting as an illegal foreign agent and conspiring with Chen Jun. Chen was sentenced last month for similar offenses related to the PRC government and targeting Falun Gong practitioners in the U.S., a spiritual practice banned in China.
The complaint alleges that Sun served as campaign manager for a Southern California politician during the 2022 elections. During this time, he reportedly communicated with Chen about influencing local politicians on issues such as Taiwan. Following the election victory of "Individual 1," Sun allegedly prepared a report sent to Chinese officials who responded positively.
United States Attorney Martin Estrada stated, "The conduct alleged in this complaint is deeply concerning – the defendant is charged with acting on behalf of the People’s Republic of China to influence our political system." Akil Davis from the FBI emphasized that this case demonstrates "the breadth of the PRC’s relentless intelligence and malign influence activities targeting the United States."
Following Individual 1's election, Chen organized a meeting described as a "core member lunch" where they discussed forming a "US-China Friendship Promotional Association." Although Individual 1 did not attend, they were mentioned as part of this association.
In early 2023, Sun was instructed by Chen to draft another report detailing their support for Individual 1. This report included requests for an $80,000 budget for pro-PRC activities. Later that year, Sun and Individual 1 traveled to China after plans were made to meet with Chinese leadership.
The charges against Sun carry potential sentences of up to ten years for acting as an illegal agent and five years for conspiracy. The investigation is ongoing under the FBI's direction.
Assistant United States Attorneys David Ryan and Amanda Elbogen are leading prosecution efforts alongside Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle from the Department of Justice's National Security Division.