A Roslyn father and daughter were among seven Chinese nationals charged on Thursday with threatening and intimidating a U.S. resident into returning to China, federal prosecutors said.
Quanzhong An, 55, and Guangyang An, 34, of Roslyn, are accused of operating as agents of a foreign government and money laundering. Along with the other defendants, they acted under the supervision of different officials with China’s Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, prosecutors said.
Quanzhong and Guangyang were arrested on Thursday morning. Five other Chinese nationals — Tian Peng, Chenghua Chen, Chunde Ming, Xuexin Houand Weidong Yuan — remain at large, officials said.
“The United States will firmly counter such outrageous violations of national sovereignty and prosecute individuals who act as illegal agents of foreign states,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement.
As part of an international extralegal repatriation operation — “Operation Fox Hunt” — the defendants allegedly monitored, harassed and coerced a U.S. resident to return to China.
Quanzhong allegedly acted as the primary U.S.-based liaison for the Provincial Commission. As part of the scheme, various Chinese-based conspirators forced a relative from China to travel to the U.S. in September 2018. There, he met with an unidentified man’s son and convey threats that were intended to coerce the father’s return to China, officials said.
“The victims in this case sought to flee an authoritarian government, leaving behind their lives and family, for a better life here,” FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll said. “That same government sent agents to the United States to harass, threaten and forcibly return them to the People’s Republic of China. The actions we allege are illegal and the FBI will not allow adversaries to break laws designed to protect our nation and our freedom.”
Quanzhong and Guangyang also allegedly took part in a money-laundering operation involving millions of dollars moving from China to the financial system of the U.S. The defendants and their coconspirators supposedly lied to U.S. financial institutions on multiple occasions to conceal ownership and management of the funds.
The government has filed forfeiture charges against Quanzhong’s hotel in Flushing and the defendants’ homes in Roslyn, because of the money laundering indictment.
Quanzhong risks a maximum term of 10 years in jail if convicted of working as a Chinese agent. Quanzhong and Guangyang face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted of money laundering conspiracy.
The remaining accusations, which include conspiring to serve as Chinese agents and conspiring to commit interstate and international stalking, have a possible jail sentence of five years.
