The Mayor of Arcadia, Southern California, Eileen Wang, has agreed to plead guilty to illegal activities on behalf of the Chinese government and has resigned from her post. This was reported by AP, according to UNN.
Details
The 58-year-old official was charged in April with acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. According to federal prosecutors, she carried out assignments for Chinese officials, including distributing materials and propaganda articles favorable to Beijing, without notifying U.S. authorities.
The Arcadia city administration stated that the case is not related to the use of city resources or personnel. City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto emphasized that the charges concern Wang's personal actions prior to her official inauguration in December 2022.
She faces up to 10 years in prison
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Eileen Wang admitted that, together with Yaoning "Mike" Sun, she promoted the interests of the Chinese authorities in the U.S. between 2020 and 2022. Sun has already pleaded guilty in this case and was sentenced to four years in prison.
Federal authorities state that Wang could face up to 10 years in prison. Her lawyers said she "recognizes the seriousness of the situation," apologizes for her actions, and "takes responsibility for her personal mistakes."
US imposes new sanctions over Iranian oil supplies to China12.05.26, 00:41