LOS ANGELES, CA – A Southern California man has been arrested on federal charges for allegedly acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government and attempting to influence a local city council election, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 64, of Chino Hills, was taken into custody without incident and is scheduled to make his initial court appearance in downtown Los Angeles. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the charges, which include acting as an unregistered foreign agent and conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States.
Federal prosecutors allege that Sun worked closely with another man, Chen Jun, who was sentenced to federal prison last month for acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and targeting U.S.-based practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned in China.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court, Sun served as the campaign manager for an unnamed Southern California politician during a 2022 city council election. Prosecutors claim Sun maintained close ties with Chen, who allegedly reported election-related updates to Chinese government officials and discussed ways to influence U.S. politicians, particularly regarding Taiwan policy.
Shortly after the politician won the election, Sun prepared a report on the outcome, which Chen forwarded to Chinese officials. Prosecutors allege the report received positive feedback, with PRC officials thanking Sun and Chen for their efforts.
Court documents reveal that Chen later organized a post-election gathering in Rowland Heights, describing it as a “core member lunch.” Though the newly elected official did not attend, Chen allegedly identified the politician as part of a new group called the U.S.-China Friendship Promotional Association and claimed Sun was its vice president.
Prosecutors allege Chen later described the group as a team “dedicated for us” in a message to Chinese government officials.
Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, described the case as an example of the PRC’s “relentless intelligence and malign influence activities targeting the United States.”
In early 2023, Sun and Chen allegedly drafted two reports for PRC officials requesting $80,000 to fund pro-China activities and counter what they described as “anti-China forces” in the U.S., court documents state.
Later that year, Sun and the city council member traveled to China in August 2023, where prosecutors allege Sun planned meetings with PRC officials and the Chinese consul general in Los Angeles.
The charge of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, while the conspiracy charge is punishable by up to five years, prosecutors said.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are continuing to examine whether other individuals or groups may have been involved.
