Prosecutors say China is forcing Chinese nationals in the U.S. to return home to face charges. Three men, including an ex-NYPD officer, all living in the U.S., have been convicted of various charges including stalking and harassing a Chinese exile.
The trial is centered around Operation Fox Hunt, an effort by Beijing to pressure expatriates into returning home. China has denied trying to force people back to China through intimidation and said the U.S. is smearing its effort to fight crime.
The accused, a former New York City police sergeant and two Chinese citizens, took part in scare tactics aimed at former Wuhan city official Xu Jin.
During the Brooklyn federal court trial, which ended June 20, prosecutors said the three men took part in a years-long effort to push Xu into going back to China.
China has accused Xu Jin and his wife of taking bribes. They deny the claim and say they were targeted after falling out with some of China’s communist power players.
The three men, all accused of acting as foreign agents, said they were told they were helping to collect a debt for a company or individuals, not for an entire country.
Michael McMahon, the former sergeant turned private investigator, contested he had no idea Beijing was allegedly behind it all. He is challenging the conviction.
