Linda Sun, 41, a former aide to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, has been arrested and charged with acting as an undisclosed agent of China.
The charges, announced by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, also include visa fraud, alien smuggling, and a money laundering conspiracy.
Sun, who previously served as Governor Hochul’s Deputy Chief of Staff, allegedly interfered with official engagements involving Taiwanese representatives and coordinated a visit for a high-level New York State official to China.
Prosecutors claim that Sun’s actions were compensated with significant economic and other benefits from agents of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) government and the Chinese Communist Party.
Sun’s husband, Chris Hu, was also arrested in a related development. According to the prosecutors, Hu engaged in millions of dollars worth of business activities in China facilitated by the Chinese government.
Among the benefits received by Ms. Sun were gifts such as Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by a chef of a Chinese government official.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office disclosed that the couple is accused of laundering their illicit gains to acquire substantial assets, including a $4.1 million property in New York, a $2.1 million condominium in Hawaii, and luxury vehicles such as a 2024 Ferrari.
