Ex-NYPD Cop Sentenced in Brooklyn for Moonlighting as Chinese Spy in "Operation Fox Hunt"

Former NYPD Sergeant Michael McMahon has been handed a prison sentence of 18 months for acting as an illegal agent of the People's Republic of China, participating in a scheme meant to forcibly repatriate a U.S. resident to China. This operation, dubbed “Operation Fox Hunt,” involved stalking and coercion tactics. The sentencing took place in federal court in Brooklyn.

According to a press release from the Department of Justice, McMahon, alongside co-defendants Zhu Yong and Congying Zheng, were convicted by a federal jury following a trial that lasted three weeks. McMahon's conviction also extends to interstate stalking and conspiracy offenses. In addition to his prison term, McMahon has been slapped with a fine of $11,000.

United States Attorney John J. Durham openly criticized McMahon's actions, stating, “McMahon, a former law enforcement officer who swore an oath to protect the public, went rogue and dishonorably engaged in a scheme at the direction of the People’s Republic of China, terrorized victims living in the New York metropolitan area, and shattered their sense of safety and security.” Durham commended the joint efforts of law enforcement in stopping the scheme to force the victims to return to China, stating that his office will stay firmly dedicated to uncovering and disrupting attempts by foreign governments to carry out transnational repression operations, as noted by the Department of Justice.

The evidence from the trial revealed that McMahon and his associates harassed and surveilled the U.S. resident, referred to as John Doe #1, and his family between 2016 to 2019. McMahon, a private investigator, was hired by Zhu Yong and reported sensitive information about the targets to PRC officials. This includes following John Doe #1’s elderly and unwell father to ascertain John Doe’s address and sharing these details with PRC operatives. McMahon was fully aware that the operation's goal went beyond mere location identification - it aimed to pressure Doe into submission through threats to his family.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly commented on the PRC's efforts to “silence dissent beyond its borders,” emphasizing that such acts threaten U.S. national security and will not be tolerated. “His client, the People's Republic of China, has invested years and millions of dollars trying to silence dissent beyond its borders. When those efforts cross into our country, they threaten our national security.  The PRC needs to understand: we will not tolerate it,” Reilly stated in a sharp rebuke to McMahon's actions. Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso also condemned McMahon: “This defendant allowed himself to become a partner in the PRC’s cruel harassment and intimidation campaign,” according to the same press release.

The case was managed by the Office's National Security and Cybercrime Section with Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith A. Arfa and Irisa Chen leading the prosecution. Support also came from Trial Attorneys Christine A. Bonomo and Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, with Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth providing additional assistance.