Former New York police sergeant Michael McMahon was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in a case involving China’s pursuit of critics abroad. McMahon was convicted in 2023 of contributing to a pressure campaign aimed at getting a former Chinese city official to return to China. The tactics used included Facebook messages and a threatening note left on the official’s door. McMahon claimed he was unwittingly used by Chinese operatives for what he thought was a routine private investigation job.
The sentencing judge, Pamela Chen, described McMahon’s actions as aiding in a campaign of transnational repression that harmed the targeted man, his family, and the United States. McMahon acknowledged conducting surveillance and searching databases for information on the official, but claimed he did not know about China’s alleged involvement in the investigation. His lawyer argued that McMahon was deceived and would not have taken the job if he had known the true nature of the assignment.
Five people charged in the case remain at large, believed to be in China, while three others have pleaded guilty. McMahon received support from two members of Congress who urged the judge to consider his “unique circumstances” and not sentence him to prison. Despite the pleas for leniency, McMahon was ultimately sentenced to 18 months in prison.
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