In a case that could be the plot of a spy novel, Shujun Wang, an academic and author who co-founded a pro-democracy organization in Queens, has been convicted on charges of acting as a covert agent for the Chinese government. The verdict was delivered by a federal jury in Brooklyn after a seven-day trial before United States Second Circuit Judge Denny Chin.
Wang, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Chinese descent, used his position within the Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang Memorial Foundation—a group opposing the Chinese communist regime—to infiltrate and betray the pro-democracy movement. Under the direction of officials from China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), Wang collected sensitive information about prominent activists, academics, and dissidents, which he then reported back to the Chinese government.
Since at least 2006, Wang worked under the control of his co-defendants Feng He, also known as “Boss He,” Jie Ji, Ming Li, also known as “Elder Tang” and “Little Li,” and Keqing Lu, also known as “Boss Lu.” These MSS officials, who remain at large, directed Wang to gather intelligence on groups and individuals deemed subversive by the Chinese government, including Hong Kong democracy protestors, advocates for Taiwanese independence, and Uyghur and Tibetan activists. Wang conducted face-to-face meetings with MSS officials during trips to China and used WeChat to communicate and send information.
Wang meticulously documented the information he gathered in email “diaries” for the MSS. These entries included details of his private conversations with dissidents and the activities of human rights organizations. Law enforcement discovered these diaries and additional contact information for Chinese dissidents during a search of Wang’s residence.
When confronted by federal law enforcement between 2017 and 2021, Wang repeatedly lied about his connections to Chinese officials. In a 2019 interview at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Wang falsely claimed to have no contact with the Chinese government.
United States Attorney Breon Peace emphasized the gravity of the betrayal, noting, “The indictment could have been the plot of a spy novel, but the evidence is shockingly real that the defendant was a secret agent for the Chinese government.” Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Robert Wells, Executive Assistant Director of the FBI’s National Security Branch, echoed these sentiments, highlighting the FBI’s commitment to countering espionage and transnational repression.
Wang was convicted on all four counts of the indictment, including acting and conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the U.S. Attorney General, criminal possession of identification, and making false statements to law enforcement. He now faces up to 25 years in prison. The prosecution was handled by the National Security and Cybercrime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the FBI.
