Linda Sun, former Hochul aide, charged with being an agent of the Chinese government

A former aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul who lives on Long Island was charged Tuesday with using her influence in New York State government to act as an unregistered agent of China and the Chinese Communist Party and allegedly laundered millions of dollars in proceeds with her husband to buy their multimillion dollar Manhasset mansion and a 2024 Ferrari, federal prosecutors said.

Linda Sun, the former deputy chief of staff to Hochul, and her husband, Chris Hu, were both arrested and charged in connection with the alleged scheme and pleaded not guilty to the charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo in Brooklyn federal court Tuesday afternoon.

An indictment unsealed Tuesday charged Sun, 41, with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy, prosecutors said. Hu, 40, is charged with money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of identification, prosecutors said.

Kuo set a $1.5 million bond for Sun and a $500,000 bond for Hu.

The couple’s Manhasset home, now valued at $4.1 million according to federal prosecutors who said it was purchased with illegal monetary proceeds from the scheme, was the subject of search warrant in July. At the time of the raid at the home — a five-bedroom mansion on Saxony Court in a gated community — an FBI spokesman confirmed the agency "conducted court-authorized law enforcement activity in Manhasset." Sun and Hu bought the home in 2021 for $3.55 million, according to real estate records.

Sun and Hu left court with their attorneys after family friends acted as suretors for their bonds. Both defendants declined to comment.

Both Sun and Hu must remain on Long Island or in New York City as part of their release agreement. They are permitted to travel to New Hampshire and Maine, the judge said, adding that Sun is restricted from communicating with anyone at the Chinese consulate or mission or visiting either location.

Sun’s attorney, Jarrod Schaeffer, told reporters, “We think these charges are disappointing, that they are the product of an overly aggressive investigation and we're looking forward to exercising our right to a speedy trial and addressing these accusations in the forum where it's most appropriate, which is a court of law."

Hu's attorney, Seth DuCharme, said: "We have a lot of confidence in our case. A lot of the allegations in this indictment are frankly perplexing and overly inflammatory. As you heard in court today, the defendants are exercising their right to a speedy trial as soon as they can. We have a lot of confidence in Chris and Linda."

U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement the alleged scheme enriched the defendant’s family to the tune of millions of dollars. "As alleged, while appearing to serve the people of New York as Deputy Chief of Staff within the New York State Executive Chamber, the defendant and her husband actually worked to further the interests of the Chinese government and the CCP," the statement said.

Peace noted the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the New York State Office of the Inspector General, New York State Police and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service worked on the investigation and that the New York State Executive Chamber cooperated with the investigation.

Hochul press secretary Avi Small issued a written statement saying, "This individual was hired by the Executive Chamber more than a decade ago. We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, immediately reported her actions to law enforcement and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process."

According to prosecutors, Sun took several actions at the request of Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party officials, including blocking representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and later Hochul, as not to anger the Chinese government, which does not recognize Taiwan as an independent country. Neither governor is named in the indictment, with Cuomo referred to as "Politician-1" and Hochul as "Politician-2," but the details and dates exactly mirror their administrations.

Prosecutors also allege Sun obtained official New York State proclamations for Chinese government representatives without proper authorization, attempted to facilitate a trip to China by a high-level New York State politician and arranged meetings for visiting delegations from the Chinese government with New York State government officials.

Sun's alleged conduct also included repeated violations of New York State government rules and protocols by allegedly providing unauthorized invitation letters from the office of high-level New York State government officials that were used to facilitate travel by Chinese government officials into the United States for meetings with the officials. That alleged conduct, prosecutors said, "constituted false statements made in connection with immigration documents and induced the foreign citizens into unlawfully entering the United States."

Sun never registered as a foreign agent with the U.S. Attorney General, as required by federal law, prosecutors said.

In exchange for Sun's alleged actions, Sun received millions of dollars in transactions for her husband's China-based business activities, prosecutors said.

Sun also received travel benefits, tickets to events, the promotion of a close family friend’s business and employment for Sun’s cousin in China.

Sun's family also allegedly ate well as part of the scheme. Prosecutors said Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by a Chinese government official’s personal chef were delivered to the residence of Sun’s parents.

Sun used the alleged ill-gotten gains to purchase the couple's Manhasset mansion, as well as a $2.1 million Honolulu condominium on the 47th floor of a high-rise with ocean views, and luxury vehicles including a 2024 Ferrari Roma and a 2024 Range Rover, prosecutors said.

Hu also allegedly laundered proceeds from the scheme through bank accounts opened in the name of a close relative by fraudulently using an image of the relative's driver's license, prosecutors said. The funds were for Hu's exclusive use, prosecutors added.

Prosecutors alleged Sun never disclosed any benefits she received from representatives of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party to the New York State government, as she was required to do as a state government employee.

Hu has registered several businesses, including Leivine Wine and Spirits, a liquor store Hu operates in Flushing, Queens, and Medical Supplies USA, which was founded in April 2020. U.S. customs records available online show the company received shipments of face masks and other supplies from China in 2020.

In 2021, another Hu company, Foodie Fisherman, received a pair of Paycheck Protection Program loans totaling nearly $42,000, according to U.S. Small Business Administration data that describes the company as having a single employee.

Sun worked in the state Assembly and joined the administration of then-Gov. Cuomo in 2012 as a liaison to minority communities.

She later served at Empire State Development, the privately run state economic development arm.

She returned to the state payroll as a deputy diversity officer, then worked at the Department of Financial Services.

When Hochul succeeded Cuomo as governor in 2021, Sun was hired as a deputy chief of staff but she left in September 2022 and joined the state Labor Department.

She was terminated from the Labor Department in March 2023, the indictment said, but she allegedly continued to attend meetings and represent herself as a current state employee.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.