The U.S. Department of Justice has sentenced Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, of Chino Hills, to 48 months in federal prison for acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Sun is alleged to have been the former fiancé of Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang. During Wang’s campaign for city council, Sun served as her campaign advisor and treasurer.
“Federal law enforcement will not allow hostile foreign nations to infiltrate the governance of our nation’s political bodies,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “The relentlessness of PRC intelligence operations in our country must be met by equal relentlessness on our part to secure, protect, and defend the United States.”
Wang has not been accused of wrongdoing. Sun pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government from at least 2022 through January 2024. Court records indicate he worked with “Individual 1” to operate a purported news website for the local Chinese American community, posting pro-PRC content under directives from the PRC government. He also acted as campaign advisor for Individual 1, who was elected city council member in November 2022.
In December 2022, Wang commented on her relationship with Sun during a council meeting: “To my fiancé, Mike Sun, who walked streets with me every single day, who is a real leader of me,” she said. After Sun was charged, Wang denied the relationship in September 2025, stating, “No. 1, he’s not my fiancé.”
Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division noted: “When Americans vote for elected officials, they expect them to represent the interests of their constituents – not those of a foreign adversary like the Chinese government.”
Court records also reveal that Sun monitored Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s April 2023 visit to Southern California and reported directly to PRC consular officials. Sun and Wang were linked through business ventures, including registration together with the American Southwest Chamber of Commerce and co-running a media site called US News Center. Sources indicate Wang has not been charged in connection with Sun’s espionage activities, though their close ties highlight how Sun exploited his position to advance Beijing’s influence in local politics.