A $3.5 million mansion on Long Island. A $2.1 million "ocean view condominium" in Honolulu. A brand new 2024 Ferrari.
And more than a dozen Nanjing-style salted ducks, personally prepared by the private chef of a Chinese government official.
Those were just some of the luxuries that Linda Sun, a former top aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, and her husband, Chris Hu, received for allegedly betraying their country to China, prosecutors claimed in court papers Tuesday.
Sun, according to the indictment, also received millions of dollars in transactions for the China-based business activities of her husband, a job for her cousin in China, as well as tickets to various sporting and cultural events, including a performance of the Guangzhou Ballet at Lincoln Center and the Chinese National Traditional Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, both in Manhattan.
“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,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for Eastern District of New York said in a statement, using the initials for the Chinese Communist Party. “The illicit scheme enriched the defendant’s family to the tune of millions of dollars."
As for those salted ducks, a delicacy made from a recipe that goes back to the 14th century, an unidentified People’s Republic of China (PRC) official had them "delivered to the residence of Sun’s parents," the Department of Justice disclosed in both a press release and in the indictment detailing the charges against the couple.
The first delivery of six ducks was made "on or about July 28, 2021," according to the indictment.
Six more ducks were delivered "on or about November 23, 2021," the indictment states. And in 2022, there were two more salted duck deliveries.
Additionally, the PRC official had Sun and her family over to his home at least once for dinner.
By that point, the couple was on the radar of federal investigators.
Sun, in July 2020, had already taken part in a "voluntary interview" with FBI agents where, according to the indictment, she "misrepresented the purpose of one of her trips to the PRC, and concealed the fact that it was arranged and funded by co-conspirators representing the PRC government and the CCP."
Sun, 41, was charged Tuesday with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling and money laundering.
Prosecutors said Sun used her high-ranking positions in state government to serve the interests of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party in exchange for millions of dollars.
Hu, 40, was charged with money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of means of identification. He allegedly laundered millions through bank accounts opened in the name of a close relative.
To open these accounts, Hu unlawfully used an image of a relative’s driver’s license, prosecutors said.
Both pleaded not guilty Tuesday afternoon. Sun was set to be released on a $1.5 million bond and her husband on a $500,000 bond.
Sun had been on the New York State payroll for roughly 15 years, holding positions in the administration of then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo before becoming Hochul’s deputy chief of staff.
On Wednesday, Hochul said Sun "was put in the position of liaison to the Asian community and global trade issues" before she became governor in August 2021 and served in her administration for 15 months.
"The moment we discovered the misconduct, we fired this individual," Hochul said at a press conference. "And we reported immediately to law enforcement."
Hochul declined to go into specifics about why Sun was fired. She said that while Sun engaged in "potentially dangerous activities" her "access to information was fairly limited."
Still, Hochul said, Sun's alleged actions were an "absolute betrayal."
"I also requested the State Department to take appropriate action in response to the dangerous and outrageous actions taken by the People’s Republic of China," Hochul said, adding that the Chinese consul general who was allegedly in contact with Sun is no longer posted in New York City.
Asked whether she personally has been questioned about the case by the FBI, Hochul said "they asked me one question." She did not say what it was.
Sun is represented by attorneys Ken Abell and Jarrod Schaeffer.
“We are disappointed by the filing of these charges, which are inflammatory and appear to be the product of an overly aggressive prosecution," the lawyers said in a statement. "Our client is eager to exercise her right to a speedy trial and to defend against these accusations in the proper forum — a court of law.”
Sun's husband is represented by attorneys Seth DuCharme and Nicole Boeckmann. NBC reached out to them for comment about the charges that could send Hu to prison for years but there was no immediate response.
In Beijing, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said at the regular briefing Wednesday that she was not aware of the arrests and declined to comment on what she called "domestic cases of the United States."
"However, we oppose any malicious attempts to implicate, smear or slander China," Mao Ning said.
Sun and Hu launched their spending spree in 2021. They bought both the mansion in a gated community in Manhasset, Long Island, which is now worth about $4.05 million, and the Honolulu condo, which is "currently valued at approximately $2.1 million," the indictment states.
"There were no mortgage loans taken in connection with these acquisitions," prosecutors charged in the court papers.
The couple purchased the properties after Hu received a series of wire transfers totaling more than $2.1 million from a PRC-based account, prosecutors said. And Sun "did not report the real estate acquisitions on her financial disclosure statements, as she was obligated to do."
In 2020, while Sun was house-shopping on Long Island, a worried — and unnamed relative — expressed concern "that people would wonder" how she could afford to buy an expensive property, according to the indictment.
"Mortgage," Sun allegedly replied.
In fact, according to the indictment, while the couple was buying real estate and fast cars, "their personal and business tax returns reflected little to no income earned."
Hu operated a Queens-based seafood company and wine store that did not generate much in the way of income.
But in addition to the Ferrari, Hu also had at his disposal a 2024 Range Rover/L460 and a 2022 Mercedes GLB250W4, according to the court papers.
Now the houses, the cars, some $210,000 in cash, as well as money from various other accounts that Hu allegedly controlled, are in the hands of the federal prosecutors.
