FBI agents arrested a Chino Hills man Thursday on federal charges that he allegedly acted as a political operative for the People’s Republic of China while serving as a campaign manager for a local official elected in 2022 to a city council in Southern California.

Neither the local politician nor the city they were elected to represent were disclosed. Rather, a criminal complaint identifies the local official only as “Individual 1.”

Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 64, is charged with acting as an agent of a foreign government, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court.

He also is charged with conspiring with Chen Jun, 71, who was sentenced to federal prison in November for acting as an illegal agent of the PRC amid a plot to target U.S.-based practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice banned in China.

In a conference call with reporters Thursday, Dec. 19, United States Attorney Martin Estrada said efforts to influence U.S. political officials on behalf of the PRC are “another example of a disturbing trend.”

Specifically, PRC officials are directing efforts to reduce support in the U.S. for pro-democracy efforts in China, such as Taiwanese independence and Falun Gong, Estrada said.

“We have seen a trend in which officials with the PRC seek to influence the political system of our country, and they are doing so by taking a broad approach, including government officials who may be local and not yet on a national stage,” Estrada said.

Sun, who is a Chinese national, previously served in the government’s People’s Liberation Army. In a probable-cause affidavit, prosecutors said they have uncovered photos of Sun and Chen in Chinese military uniforms.

The criminal complaint states that in 2022 Sun served as the campaign manager for and was a close personal confidante Individual 1, whom Chinese officials considered a “rising star” in local politics, federal officials said.

Sun’s last registered physical address on file with the DMV is a home owned by Individual 1, according to the complaint. Additionally, Sun’s LinkedIn profile shows he operated the U.S. News Center with Individual 1, prosecutors said.

Chen allegedly was in frequent contact with Sun, whom he instructed to submit reports on Individual 1’s election that he could provide to top officials with the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

About a month after Individual 1’s election, Chen arranged a “core member lunch” at a Rowland Heights restaurant with Sun and others, the affidavit alleges.

Chen, in a subsequent message to PRC officials, described the lunch as “successful” because participants agreed to establish a “US-China Friendship Promotional Association.”

While Individual 1 did not attend the meeting, Chen described Individual 1 as being part of the association, with Sun serving as vice president. “This is the basic team dedicated for us,” Chen wrote to the Chinese government official.

Chen instructed Sun in early 2023 to write up another report for Chinese officials describing “you and me cultivating and assisting [Individual 1’s] success,” according to the affidavit.

In a February 2023 draft of Sun’s report, Sun described his personal background and his history of working against “Chinese secessionist forces.” Additionally, he boasted that, “most proudly of all, during the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, I orchestrated and organized my team to win the election for city council member candidate (Individual 1).”

In subsequent communications detailed in the affidavit, Chen instructed Sun to include a section on Individual 1, who was to be described as a “New Political Star” with connections to other prominent politicians. The affidavit also states that Chen and Sun discussed their “past struggle fighting Taiwanese independence forces … over the years and fighting ‘FLG’ (Falun Gong) influences” in a California city.

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In February 2023, Sun and Chen drafted a second report to PRC officials that requested an $80,000 budget to fund additional pro-PRC activities and to combat “anti-China forces” in the United States.

After Chen and Sun discussed a planned trip to the PRC to meet with “leadership,” and he directed Sun to schedule a meeting with the Chinese consul general in Los Angeles, Sun and Individual 1 traveled to China in late August 2023.

Sun is expected to make his initial appearance Friday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles for a bond hearing, although officials said he will not enter a plea at that time.

The charge of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. The charge of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States carries a maximum statutory sentence of five years. An FBI investigation is ongoing.