A whole floor of a building in New York City was once functioning as an "illegal police station" for the government of the People’s Republic of China, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

New York City resident Chen Jinping, 60, on Wednesday pleaded guilty in connection with the secret police station in Lower Manhattan's Chinatown, according to a release from the DOJ.

"Today’s guilty plea holds the defendant accountable for his brazen efforts to operate an undeclared overseas police station on behalf of the PRC’s national police force — a clear affront to American sovereignty and danger to our community that will not be tolerated,” the release quotes Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

The police station closed in 2022 after an FBI search. Jinping his co-defendant Lu Jianwang – both U.S. citizens ‒ were initially arrested on April 17, 2023, USA Today reports. (Jianwang has not pleaded guilty to the same charge or for obstruction of justice, according to the DOJ.)

Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch said the case is a part of China's larger efforts to "threaten, harass, and intimidate those who speak against their Communist Party."

The Chinese government has said there are centers outside China run by local volunteers, not Chinese police officers, that aim to help Chinese citizens renew documents and offer other services. Beijing has accused Washington of fabricating the charges to smear China's image, Reuters reports.