A Chino Hills man who for the last several years has been acting as a propagandist for the People’s Republic of China was arrested by FBI agents yesterday on federal charges that allege he acted as an unregistered agent of a foreign country.
Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 64, was arrested without incident and made an appearance in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles Thursday at which the charges against him were read.
There is reason to suspect or otherwise believe that Sun was involved in efforts to promote the political careers of Chinese nationals who have emigrated to the United States and become naturalized citizens as part of a plot to infiltrate differing levels of American government with operatives loyal to Communist China.
According to federal prosecutors, Sun was employed as an agent of the People’s Republic of China while he was known to have been serving as the campaign manager for a person identified in court papers as a Southern California city council candidate who was elected in 2022, an individual provisionally identified by the Sentinel as Arcadia City Councilwoman Eileen Wang. It appears, but was not confirmed by federal authorities, that he was active in promoting the candidacies of other Chinese-American candidates for local office in the region.
Documents, some of which were redacted, provided with a criminal complaint filed Tuesday and unsealed Thursday morning offer a somewhat elliptical, discontinuous and incomplete narrative with regard to Sun’s activities. Based upon those documents, it was Sun’s association with another Chinese national in the United States, Chen Jun, which brought him under the scrutiny of federal authorities. Chen’s activities, many of them on the East Coast, on behalf of the People’s Republic of China resulted in his being sentenced to federal prison in November for acting as an illegal agent of the Communist Chinese government, including closely monitoring and interfering with U.S.-based congregations of the Falun Gong religious sect. The Communist regime in China has outlawed the worshiping practices of Falun Gong on Mainland China, and there is concern among Chinese leaders that the Falun Gong movement represents a long-term seditious threat to the Chinese government.
An affidavit provided by an FBI agent whose name and identifying particulars were redacted was released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in conjunction with a copy of the complaint alleging Sun had violated 18 United States Code § 371: Conspiracy and 18 United States Code § 951: Acting as an Illegal Agent of a Foreign Government. The complaint was certified by U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Donahue as having been properly filed.
The affidavit states that Sun “served as the campaign manager for a local politician (‘Individual 1’)” and that “In 2022 and early 2023, CHEN was in active communication with PRC [People’s Republic of China] government officials regarding local U.S. politicians the People’s Republic of China could ‘influence,’ particularly regarding Taiwan, and specifically communicated with them regarding Individual 1’s election. In his conversations with People’s Republic of China government officials, Chen referred to Sun and Individual 1 as being part of a ‘basic team dedicated for us.’ Chen was in frequent contact with Sun, whom he instructed to submit reports on Individual 1’s election that he could then provide to the ‘United Front’ and get to the ‘Big Boss’s desk.’”
According to the FBI agent the “United Front” is the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the “Big Boss” referenced a high-level official in the Chinese Communist Party.
According to the affidavit, “In summary, the complaint alleged that Chen worked in the United States at the direction of the People’s Republic of China to further the People’s Republic of China’s campaign against practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice banned in the People’s Republic of China. Specifically, the complaint alleged that Chen and his associate offered to pay and did pay cash bribes on behalf of the People’s Republic of China to a purported Internal Revenue Service agent (who was in fact an undercover law enforcement agent), in exchange for assistance in filing a defective whistleblower complaint as part of a People’s Republic of China Government-directed scheme to revoke the tax-exempt status of a 501(c)(3) organization run by Falun Gong practitioners.”
On June 9, 2023, Chen was indicted by a grand jury in the Southern District of New York on the conspiracy and acting as a foreign agent charges, on a charge of bribing a public official and on a money laundering count.
“On July 24, 2024, Chen pleaded guilty to Counts Two and Three, thereby admitting he had acted as an illegal agent of the PRC government in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 951. On November 19, 2024, Chen was sentenced in the Southern District of New York to twenty months’ imprisonment. While in pre-trial detention, Chen reportedly told his cellmate that he was a Chinese spy, saying he worked for the PRC’s ‘610 office,’ which he described as a ‘spy agency.’ Chen also reportedly said that the ‘610 office’ paid him $250,000 to move to the U.S. thirty years ago and had paid him $52,000 per month since then.”
The affidavit continues, “Based on the contents of Chen’s messages on his devices, it appears that in September 2022, while visiting Tianjin, China, Chen had lunch with the chief of a municipal government office in the People’s Republic of China (‘People’s Republic of China Government Official 1’) and People’s Republic of China Government Official 2, who is identified in the chat as the assistant to the director of that office. Based on my review of his phone contents, Chen had extensive conversations with People’s Republic of China Government Official 2 about his efforts to influence politicians in Southern California, including Individual 1, and stated that he had assembled a ‘team dedicated for us,’ which included Sun and Individual 1.”
According to the FBI, Chen and the Communist Chinese government were seeking to influence local government in the United States through concentration on a former and a current county supervisor in Los Angeles County.
“On October 9, 2022, Chen sent People’s Republic of China Government Official 2 the name and picture of a local politician, writing ‘Former L.A. County Supervisor. Friendly to China. Will chat with him and his wife when back.’ People’s Republic of China Government Official 2 responded, ‘Ok thanks. I will communicate several things all together in a few days, to gauge the level of attention.’ On October 13, 2022, the following exchange took place between Chen and People’s Republic of China Government Official 2:  PRC 2: Chairman, today, we briefed those several things we talked about the other day with the leader of our line in Beijing, I am going to update you here. First of all, the higher ups do confirm your capability and influence, promised that we can take your line and make it an official work put into record, this means after it’s in the record we can have monetary support. Regarding the thing you mentioned about Taiwan, they think this is not the best time, their preliminary plan is that after the election they will disrupt new congressman who will visit Taiwan just like you proposed, when they start related work, they promise to remember your line, will give us instructions at that time, then we can execute, of course we can also apply for the same support from Beijing, but not this time. Regarding the line you mentioned about the county supervisor, they will approve current county supervisor, but not former county supervisor, but I personally agree that we can go through the current one from the former one, so we internally are willing to provide the preliminary funding for you to socialize with the former county supervisor, but not a lot at once, it will be enough for meals and conference, but if you succeed in contacting with the current one, I believe the support will increase, so let’s keep in touch about this, let me know before you meet with the former county supervisor, I will try my best to get you support. (Try to meet with him to find out more about the new county supervisor, write a simple report, and then find a chance to ask him to introduce
you to the new one directly). Lastly, I need a small favor from you, please give me a list of Chinese groups names that you can organize to ‘mobilize’, channels, or local Chinese groups, and Chinese media that can promote stuff, I am going to write it up for the higher ups to put in record. I plan on doing this in a few days, after this we can officially start working.”
According to the FBI agent’s affidavit, Chen responded by listing US SoCal Chinese-American Alliance, the US SoCal Chinese Alliance Association, the US Chinese Alliance, the US Chinese Community Alliance Conference and the US China Unification Forum and their leaders.
According to the affidavit, on October 14, 2022, less than a month before Wang was elected to the municipal post in Arcadia, there was an exchange between Chen and People’s Republic of China Government Official 2 relating to influencing members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
According to the affidavit, exchanges between Chen and Communist Chinese government officials suggest that Eileen Wang was a sleeper agent for the Chinese government or at the very least was being cooperative in working to assist agents such as Chen.
The affidavit relates that Sun did an extensive examination of Wang’s ancestry and connection to Chinese society. The affidavit quotes Sun as reporting that Wang, “[Individual 1]” was “born in the late 70s. Han ethnicity. Born in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Great-grandfather was [Relative 1] (commander during the Wuchang Upraising). [Relative 2] (Commander of Zhongshan gunboat). Father [Relative 3] (former [occupation redacted]). [Individual 1] emigrated to the U.S. from Chengdu in 1995, studied at [redacted]. Later served as a committee member of [redacted]. Established [names of businesses redacted].”
In an exchange with Sun on March 23, 2023, Chen suggested that Sun engage himself in creating problems for Falun Gong. The affidavit quotes Chen as saying , “Several questions: Does Wheel [Wheel being a Chinese term referring to Falun Gong] have locations in [California city]? Activities? Can you create some obstacles for them? If you can eliminate one or several locations, or create some obstacles, there will be rewards.”
The affidavit states that Sun and Wang visited China, where they apparently had meetings with Communist Chinese governmental officials.
“On or about August 22, 2023, Individual 1 flew from Los Angeles to Hong Kong,” the affidavit states. “On September 4, 2023, Individual 1 and Sun returned together on a flight from Shanghai, China to Los Angeles.”
Wang has cultivated a respected reputation in Arcadia as the successful operator of the Golden Apple Christian Academy.
According to the complaint, Sun served as the campaign manager for Individual 1, who was starkly identified as a candidate running for local elected office in 2022.
In Wang’s campaign filings with the City of Arcadia’s city clerk’s office, Wang’s California Form 47, referred to as an officeholder and candidate campaign statement short form, a document which essentially declares a candidate’s candidacy for office, Sun is listed as the treasurer for Eileen Wang for Arcadia City Council 2022. Thereafter, in her California Form 460s, which delineate the contributions to her campaign, Yolanda Miranda of Covina is identified as her campaign treasurer.
The affidavit states that Sun is “the director of U.S. News Center, a purported media outlet he runs with Individual 1.”
Sun’s LinkedIn profile identifies him as the director of U.S. News Center. Wang is the owner of U.S. News Center, according to the California Secretary of State’s office’s corporate licensing division. Wang is also the owner of the single family home in Chino Hills where Sun resides.
The affidavit states that during the campaign, Sun was in communication with Chen in conjunction with the effort to get Individual 1 elected. In the November 2022 election, Wang was elected to the Arcadia City Council. Shortly after the November 2022 election, Chen called upon Sun to put a report together on the election which was forwarded to Chinese government officials. Those Chinese officials were positively impressed and expressed thanks, according to the affidavit. Chen directly sent a message to Individual 1, according to the affidavit, telling her she was “doing a good job, I hope you can continue the good work, make Chinese people proud.”
In February 2023, Sun and Chen drafted another report to Communist Chinese government officials requesting $80,000 to pay for further efforts to promote the People’s Republic of China and oppose “anti-China forces” in the United States.
The affidavit states, “Neither Sun nor Chen has ever notified the Attorney General that he was acting, would be acting, or had acted as an agent of a foreign government or official.”
The charge of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. The charge of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States carries a maximum statutory sentence of five years.
Assistant United States Attorney David Ryan, chief of the National Security Division, and Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Elbogen of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from trial attorney Garrett Coyle of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section in the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
“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,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We cannot permit hostile foreign powers to meddle in the governance of our country. My office and our law enforcement partners will continue to prioritize the security of our nation.”
“This case highlights the breadth of the PRC’s relentless intelligence and malign influence activities targeting the United States,” said Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will continue to use all the tools at its disposal to identify PRC intelligence operations, disrupt PRC information laundering networks, and bring to justice those who seek to engage in criminal conspiracies to undermine the integrity of our elected officials.”