Roslyn Chinese Spy Gets 20 Months in Federal Prison

By Jack Cardew

Quanzhong An, a 58-year-old Chinese national residing in Roslyn, New York, was sentenced this month to 20 months in federal prison for his involvement in a coercion and extortion campaign orchestrated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

An tried to force a U.S. resident, identified only as "JD," to return to China as part of "Operation Fox Hunt," an initiative by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) purportedly targeting people in the United States. 

An's activities spanned several years, beginning around 2017, and involved persistent harassment and intimidation tactics directed at JD and his family. These efforts included direct threats, surveillance, and extorting other family members to exert pressure.

In 2018, An and his daughter, Guangyang An, attempted to break into JD's Long Island residence and photographed the property. Additionally, a relative of JD was brought from China to the U.S. under false pretenses to pressure JD's son to encourage his father's return to China.

In May 2024, An pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered agent of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto of the Eastern District of New York has now sentenced him to 20 months in prison and imposed a $5 million financial penalty, which included $1.3 million in restitution to JD.

The court also considered An's involvement in a bank fraud and money laundering scheme, in which he transferred millions of dollars from China to the U.S., misleading financial institutions about the source and purpose of the funds.

Operation Fox Hunt, launched by the Communist Party of China in 2014, has been criticized for its criminal and gangster methods, including coercion and intimidation, to send people to China.

U.S. authorities have condemned these activities as violations of national sovereignty and individual rights.

Quanzhong An was born in Shantung, China and is the head of the Shantung Association of New York.

An's sentencing underscores the U.S. government's commitment to countering foreign interference and protecting residents from transnational repression. FBI Acting Assistant Director Leslie R. Backschies emphasized that such threats and harassment on U.S. soil would not be tolerated, reaffirming the agency's dedication to safeguarding individuals from foreign coercion.