NYPD Sergeant Under Federal Investigation for Alleged Espionage
A New York Police Department sergeant assigned to the detective bureau is currently the subject of an FBI inquiry amid accusations of espionage on behalf of the Chinese government, according to exclusive sources who spoke to DailyMail.com.
Suspension and Access to Sensitive Data
Sergeant Zhu Jiang, who is part of a unit that investigates healthcare fraud and possesses clearance to highly sensitive information, has been relieved of his duties without pay, a police spokesperson confirmed.
Jiang is stationed at the Jacob K. Javitz Building at 26 Federal Plaza, which also houses the FBI’s New York field office, situated near NYPD headquarters.
Background and Career
Joining the NYPD in 2013, Jiang’s prior assignments include the organized crime investigative division and various detective squads in Brooklyn, public records indicate. His annual salary last year totaled $169,000.
Attempts by DailyMail.com to contact Jiang for comment were unsuccessful.
Community Liaison Role and Espionage Accusations
In 2016, Jiang was featured in an Epoch Times Chinese-language article, recognizing his appointment as the NYPD’s neighborhood coordinator for Eighth Avenue in Brooklyn. This role followed a series of robberies targeting individuals of Chinese descent in that area.
His selection for this position was partly due to his fluency in the Fuzhou dialect of Chinese, commonly spoken in that community.
Sources inform DailyMail.com that the current investigation centers on allegations of espionage on behalf of China. As of Sunday, one source stated that Jiang has not been formally charged nor taken into custody.
Second NYPD Officer Under Scrutiny
Jiang is the second NYPD officer to face suspicion of spying for China within the last year.
Prior Case: Lieutenant Steven Li
Lieutenant Steven Li was terminated from the NYPD in May of the previous year, according to reports from the New York Post.
Li, who was assigned to the Internal Affairs Bureau, reportedly connected a Chinese official with a female acquaintance.
The official, Sun Hoi Ying, was in the U.S. as part of Operation Fox Hunt, a program aimed at persuading fugitives to return to China.
The woman, identified as Huang, was reportedly targeted by the Chinese government for alleged embezzlement from a state-owned company and subsequent property acquisitions in China.
Ultimately, the NYPD determined Li was not acting as a Chinese agent. However, he was found culpable of making false statements and failing to disclose an FBI investigation against him.