Ex-New York policeman, 2 Chinese citizens found guilty of conspiracy in landmark US federal trial
- Defendants await sentencing in case involving a suspected Beijing-backed operation aimed at repatriating wanted Chinese fugitive living in New Jersey
- Prosecutors said Beijing hired American private investigator Michael McMahon to help find Xu Jin, a former Wuhan senior official
A jury found a former New York City police sergeant and two Chinese citizens guilty on nine counts on Tuesday in a landmark federal trial involving a suspected Beijing-backed operation aimed at repatriating a Chinese fugitive living in New Jersey.
Charged in the nearly three-week trial were former police officer-turned-private investigator Michael McMahon and two Chinese citizens – New York residents Zhu Yong, 66, and Zheng Congying, 27 – for involvement in a three-year repatriation and intimidation effort against a Chinese fugitive on US soil.
All three were found guilty of conspiracy to commit interstate stalking. McMahon and Zhu were also found guilty on charges of acting as unauthorised agents of a foreign government.
“I did everything by the book,” McMahon said outside the courtroom. “This is outrageous. What happened? Absolutely outrageous.”
The defendants will be sentenced at a later date on the charges involving conspiracy, stalking and acting as unauthorised Chinese agents. Zhu faces up to 25 years behind bars, McMahon 20 years and Zheng 10 years.
