A man accused of operating a secret Chinese government police station in New York City has pleaded guilty.

An individual living in New York City has confessed to running a covert Chinese government police station in the Chinatown district of Manhattan.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, announced that Chen Jinping had pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an agent of the Chinese government.

"My office has prioritized countering the harmful actions of foreign governments that infringe on our nation's sovereignty by targeting local diaspora communities in the United States. Today, a person involved in a transnational repression scheme who established a secret police station in the heart of New York City on behalf of the national police force of the People's Republic of China has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to act as an illegal agent. We will continue our efforts to safeguard the rights of vulnerable individuals who seek refuge in this country to escape the oppressive activities of authoritarian regimes."

The Chinese government's representative stated in a press release that Chen and co-defendant Lu Jianwang not only acted as illegal agents of the Chinese government, but also obstructed justice by destroying evidence of their communications with a Chinese Ministry of Public Security (MPS) official.

The first known overseas police station in the U.S. was established by two men working together, according to the release.

In the fall of 2022, an office building in Chinatown housed the entire police station that had closed.

The secret facility was opened and operated with the help of Chen and Lu.

In October 2022, the FBI conducted a search on an illegal police station and questioned Lu and Chen, as well as confiscated their phones.

The MPS official's communications with the two men were deleted during the phone search by agents.

Despite Chen's guilty plea and potential five-year sentence, his alleged accomplice has not pleaded guilty and is still awaiting trial.

In a March 2023 video, Lu was seen standing with New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., at an event where the latter spoke.

At the time, Adam's office informed Planet Chronicle that the mayor's attendance at an event was to demonstrate support for a local community or the city, and not to indicate any endorsement.

A spokesperson for Adams also said the mayor does not know Lu.

Lu was unknown to Schumer, as his office stated that the federal lawmaker had never met him.

The Fukien American Association, a cultural nonprofit associated with the Chinese province, held a fundraiser.

In April 2022, Lu met New York Democratic Rep. Grace Meng at a fundraising event, according to The Daily Caller, which published images of the encounter.

Since 2006, Lu has given at least $32,625 to New York elected officials, including Adams and Gov. Hochul.

Planet Chronicle Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.