Baimadajie Angwang at the 111th Precinct in Bayside (Facebook)
Sept. 22, 2020 By Christian Murray
A Queens police officer who worked out of the NYPD 111th Precinct in Bayside has been charged with spying on behalf of the People’s Republic of China.
Baimadajie Angwang, 33, a resident of Williston Park in Long Island, was allegedly working as an agent on behalf of Beijing and would report on the activities of Chinese citizens in New York and look for potential intelligence sources within the Tibetan community.
According to the charges, Angwang allegedly began acting at the direction and control of officials at the Chinese consulate in New York City in 2014. Angwang used his position as an officer within the community affairs unit at the NYPD and as a U.S. army reservist to aid the Chinese government’s attempts to spy on its citizens abroad.
While working in the community affairs division out of the NYPD 111 Precinct, Angwang–an ethnic Tibetan native of the PRC– would act as a liaison to the community within the greater Bayside area.
“The defendant allegedly violated the trust of his community and the NYPD on behalf of a foreign power, the People’s Republic of China,” said FBI Assistant Director Alan Kohler. “This case serves as yet another reminder that China represents the biggest counterintelligence threat to the United States and that the FBI and our partners will be aggressive in investigating and stopping such activities within our nation.”
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said that Angwang, who was a naturalized U.S. citizen, undermined the efforts of the NYPD on behalf of a foreign government.
“Angwang violated every oath he took in this country. One to the United States, another to the U.S. Army, and a third to this Police Department,” Shea said.
He is also charged with committing wire fraud, making material false statements and obstruction and official proceeding.
If convicted, Angwang faces up to 53 years in prison.
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