Queens man convicted of being Chinese spy, posing as pro-democracy dissident, US attorney says

A Queens man who federal prosecutors said was posing as a pro-democracy dissident was convicted on Tuesday of being a foreign agent and supplying information to the Chinese government, officials said.

A jury convicted Shujun Wang, 75, of spying, possessing fake documents and lying to law enforcement, authorities said. He could face up to 25 years in prison.

"We are not that surprised," Wang's attorney Kevin Tung told Gothamist. "There may have been some errors, but our client hasn't made a decision on whether to appeal, but we respect the decision of the jury."

Prosecutors said Wang masqueraded as a pro-democracy dissident while covertly collecting information about Chinese people living in the United States and reporting back to China.

“Wang was willing to betray those who respected and trusted him,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. “When confronted with his shameful conduct, the defendant lied to law enforcement, but today’s verdict revealed the truth of his crimes and now he will face the consequences.”

Wang’s case is the latest in a string of cases brought by Peace against those living in New York who are aiding the People’s Republic of China.

Last year, prosecutors with New York’s Eastern District shuttered a secret Chinese police station accused of operating in Chinatown and convicted three men for stalking a New Jersey family on behalf of China. This year, the same office brought charges against a Chinese company for allegedly stealing trade secrets.

In Wang’s seven-day trial, prosecutors said he helped found pro-democracy groups based in Queens, including the Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang Memorial Foundation. He then gathered information on Hong Kong democracy protesters, Taiwanese advocates, and Uyghur and Tibetan activists in the U.S. and abroad, prosecutors said.

Wang, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Chinese descent, was accused of reporting his information through email “diaries” based on private conversations with dissidents whom China considers enemies, authorities said.

Wang’s sentencing is expected early next year.

This story has been updated with comment from Wang's attorney.