BROOKLYN, N.Y. — A retired New York Police Department sergeant was sentenced to 18 months in prison Tuesday for acting as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China and participating in a covert operation designed to pressure a U.S. resident to return to China.
Michael McMahon, 57, of Mahwah, New Jersey, was also fined $11,000 for his role in a years-long surveillance and harassment campaign targeting a Chinese national living in the United States.
The effort was part of “Operation Fox Hunt” and “Operation Sky Net,” transnational initiatives run by the PRC to repatriate citizens accused of crimes by the Chinese Communist Party.
Prosecutors said the campaign crossed legal boundaries and violated the sovereignty of U.S. law.
McMahon was convicted in June 2023 alongside Zhu Yong, 68, of East Elmhurst, and Congying Zheng, 29, of Brooklyn, following a three-week jury trial in federal court. In January, Zhu was sentenced to 24 months in prison, while Zheng received 16 months.
Surveillance operation spanned multiple states
Between 2016 and 2019, McMahon worked as a private investigator and was hired by Zhu to locate John Doe #1, a former Chinese official accused of corruption who had sought refuge in the United States with his wife, Jane Doe #1. The pair had taken deliberate steps to keep their address off public records. Despite that, McMahon successfully obtained their location and turned it over to PRC-linked individuals.
McMahon conducted surveillance at a relative’s home in New Jersey, where John Doe #1 was suspected to be in contact. After John Doe #1’s father — then 82 and suffering the effects of a brain hemorrhage — was pressured by PRC authorities to travel from China to the U.S., McMahon followed the elderly man from the relative’s home and confirmed the target’s residence. He then delivered the address to a PRC operative.
On Sept. 4, 2018, Zheng and an unidentified associate appeared at the target’s residence. They attempted to enter the home, peered through windows, and left a threatening note: “Your wife and children will be okay” if John Doe #1 returned to China and accepted a 10-year prison term.
Communications show intent to assist PRC
Federal prosecutors presented texts and communications in which McMahon acknowledged that his clients were seeking to repatriate a wanted individual. He joked with another investigator about potentially drawing the attention of the New Jersey State Police for an “abduction.” In another message, McMahon suggested that PRC agents “harass” the target by parking outside his house to create a visible presence.
McMahon was paid more than $19,000 for his work and took steps to obscure the financial trail, depositing payments into his son’s bank account — something he had never done for other clients.
Prosecutors argued this was a deliberate effort to conceal the money’s foreign origin.
DOJ: McMahon operated under direction of foreign officials
The Department of Justice emphasized that McMahon’s actions were not independent. According to the government, the entire surveillance campaign was orchestrated and directed by PRC officials, including a police officer and a prosecutor. The campaign involved direct coordination with Chinese authorities and deliberate acts of intimidation against the U.S.-based family.
“McMahon knowingly aided a foreign government’s illegal operation on U.S. soil,” the DOJ said in a statement. “His actions supported a coordinated and coercive effort to pressure a U.S. resident to return to China under threat.”
Key Points
- Michael McMahon, 57, sentenced to 18 months for acting as an unregistered agent of the PRC and stalking a U.S. resident
- Part of “Operation Fox Hunt,” China’s international repatriation initiative targeting alleged fugitives abroad
- McMahon conducted surveillance, relayed information to PRC operatives, and suggested harassment tactics