Former New York police sergeant Michael McMahon was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his involvement in a case related to China’s efforts to target critics abroad. McMahon was convicted of participating in a pressure campaign to force a former Chinese city official to leave the U.S. and return to China. He claimed he was unwittingly used by Chinese operatives when he took on a private investigation job.
The sentencing came after two members of Congress urged the judge to spare McMahon from prison. McMahon admitted to aiding in a transnational repression campaign against the targeted man, his family, and the United States, which the judge called a threat to national security. McMahon, who lost everything due to the case, acknowledged missing red flags but maintained he was deceived by his clients.
The case was part of the U.S.’s claims about China’s “Operation Fox Hunt” initiative, which the U.S. sees as an effort to harass dissidents abroad. Other individuals involved in the case were either at large in China or received prison sentences. McMahon received support from two Republican members of Congress, who believed in his innocence and requested that the judge consider his past service and not sentence him to prison.
Despite the support, McMahon was sentenced to prison, and he is expected to report in June. The judge considered the seriousness of his involvement in the campaign and the harm caused to the targeted individual. McMahon’s lawyer maintained his innocence and emphasized that McMahon was a victim of deception by his clients.
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