Air China employee in US pleads guilty to working as agent for Beijing, ‘doing military’s bidding’

Ying Lin, who also goes by Randi or Randy, was working at the direction of Chinese military personnel stationed at China’s permanent mission to the United Nations

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People walk through international arrivals at terminal four at John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport, where a Chinese woman who worked for Air China has pleaded guilty to working as an agent for the Asian nation. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:47am, 18 Apr 2019Updated: 11:20pm, 18 Apr 2019

A Queens woman who worked for Air China at John F. Kennedy Airport pleaded guilty Wednesday to acting on behalf of the Chinese government by placing unscreened packages on a flight from New York to Beijing.

Ying Lin, who also goes by Randi or Randy, was working at the direction of Chinese military personnel stationed at China’s permanent mission to the United Nations, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

Lin, a naturalised US citizen, worked for Air China from 2002 through fall 2015 at JFK and then at Newark Liberty International Airport through April 2016. She could face 10 years’ imprisonment when sentenced.

“This case is a stark example of the Chinese government using the employees of Chinese companies doing business here to engage in illegal activity,” Assistant Attorney General John Demers said in a statement.

Wu Haitao, Charge d'affaires of China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, speaks during a UN Security Council meeting. An Air China staff member has pleaded guilty to working as an agent for the mission. Photo: Xinhua

Air China employee in US pleads guilty to working as agent for Beijing, ‘doing military’s bidding’

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Ying Lin, who also goes by Randi or Randy, was working at the direction of Chinese military personnel stationed at China’s permanent mission to the United Nations

Ying Lin, who also goes by Randi or Randy, was working at the direction of Chinese military personnel stationed at China’s permanent mission to the United Nations