Overview
- The jury verdict Wednesday in Brooklyn found Lu Jianwang, 64, guilty of acting as an unregistered agent of China and of obstructing justice.
- Jurors saw a banner from the Manhattan office that read “Fuzhou Police Overseas Service Station” and WeChat messages from a Fujian security officer asking Lu to verify a U.S.-based dissident, Xu Jie.
- He was acquitted of a conspiracy charge, remains free on bail while sentencing is set, and faces up to 30 years in prison under the two counts.
- Prosecutors said Lu opened the outpost in February 2022 after a January ceremony in China announcing overseas stations, and the FBI searched the site on Oct. 3, 2022.
- Defense lawyers said the office only helped people renew Chinese driver’s licenses, Beijing called the charges fabricated, and U.S. officials cast the case as part of a wider effort to counter transnational repression.