In a shocking revelation of foreign influence penetrating American soil, former NYPD Sergeant Michael McMahon has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for his illicit activities as an agent of Communist China. The Brooklyn federal jury convicted McMahon for interstate stalking and operating as an unregistered foreign agent for China, a growing threat to American sovereignty.
McMahon’s actions were a sinister part of the Chinese Communist Party’s campaign to pressure and repatriate individuals labeled as “criminals,” often dissidents who have fled persecution. Although McMahon avoided a conspiracy charge, his conviction highlights the alarming reach of foreign powers within our borders.
“Today, in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, Michael McMahon, 57, of Mahwah, New Jersey, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay an $11,000 fine for acting as an illegal agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit the same, for his participation in a scheme to coerce repatriation of a U.S. resident to the PRC as part of its international repatriation effort known as ‘Operation Fox Hunt.’”
Alongside co-defendants Zhu Yong and Congying Zheng, McMahon was convicted in June 2023 after a three-week trial. Zhu and Zheng received sentences of 24 and 16 months, respectively, in January 2025.
From 2016 to 2019, the defendants engaged in a campaign to intimidate John Doe #1 and his family, compelling their return to China under false corruption charges.
The PRC’s notorious “Operation Fox Hunt” and “Operation Sky Net” targeted John Doe #1 and his family, who sought to keep their residence private. Zhu hired McMahon, leveraging his investigative skills to locate them. Using sensitive information, McMahon surveilled John Doe #1’s family, reporting to Zhu and PRC officials.
In a chilling move, PRC officials threatened John Doe #1’s sister in China, coercing his elderly father to travel to New Jersey, accompanied by a doctor. McMahon followed them, uncovering John Doe #1’s address, which he passed to PRC operatives.
On September 4, 2018, Zheng and another conspirator visited John Doe #1’s home in New Jersey, attempting entry and leaving a threatening note promising safety for his family if he returned to China to face a decade-long prison sentence.
McMahon communicated with another investigator about the PRC’s intentions and acknowledged their goal to return the victim to China for prosecution. Conversations with his partner revealed a flippant attitude towards potential abduction.
His tactics included suggesting harassment by visibly parking outside the victim’s home. McMahon also intruded into personal details, like the victim’s daughter’s college information, earning over $19,000 for his role. To conceal these payments, McMahon funneled money through his son’s bank account, a first in his dealings.
Three other defendants have pled guilty related to the harassment scheme and await sentencing. The Justice Department’s National Security Division and the FBI, with support from the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, spearheaded this critical investigation.
