Michael McMahon, a former NYPD sergeant, was sentenced to 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela K. Chen in Brooklyn. McMahon, convicted in June 2023 along with co-defendants Zhu Yong and Congying Zheng, acted as an illegal agent for the People’s Republic of China. The charges included interstate stalking and conspiracy, part of a scheme to coerce a U.S. resident to return to China under the PRC's "Operation Fox Hunt."
John J. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentences alongside Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Terence G. Reilly from the FBI’s Newark Field Office, and Michael Alfonso from Homeland Security Investigations, New York.
Durham stated, "McMahon, a former law enforcement officer who swore an oath to protect the public, went rogue and dishonorably engaged in a scheme at the direction of the People’s Republic of China, terrorized victims living in the New York metropolitan area, and shattered their sense of safety and security." He stressed the office's commitment to countering foreign governments’ transnational repression schemes.
Reilly emphasized, “Most private investigators operate within the bounds of the law and ethical conduct. McMahon knew exactly what he was doing—and at trial, we proved his knowing and willing participation in this scheme.”
Michael Alfonso added, “This defendant allowed himself to become a partner in the PRC’s cruel harassment and intimidation campaign.”
Between 2016 and 2019, McMahon was involved in an international campaign targeting John Doe #1 and his family. Mao obtained sensitive information about them and shared it with his co-defendants, including PRC officials, during his surveillance activities. The operation included attempts to coerce John Doe #1's family, residing in the U.S., to compel him to return to China.
In 2018, Zheng and another co-conspirator attempted to intimidate the family at their New Jersey home. McMahon, aware of the PRC’s intentions to have John Doe #1 return to face purported charges, continued to collaborate until his arrest. He deposited payments from the PRC into his son's account, allegedly to conceal their origin. McMahon's financial compensation amounted to over $19,000.
Zhu and Zheng received 24 and 16 months' imprisonment respectively, while other co-defendants await sentencing. Five remain fugitives.
The FBI has established a website for victims of transnational repression to report such incidents. The case was handled by the National Security and Cybercrime Section, with assistance from multiple government attorneys and specialists.
“His client, the People's Republic of China, has invested years and millions of dollars trying to silence dissent beyond its borders," Reilly affirmed. "When those efforts cross into our country, they threaten our national security."