![\"Manhasset,](\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/GettyImages-2163619061-e1725386344302.jpg?quality=100&w=384&h=216&crop=1\")
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A former top aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul<\/strong> was arrested Tuesday morning on federal criminal charges, accused of acting as an agent of China and the Chinese Communist Party and of pocketing millions of dollars, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said.<\/p>\n Linda Sun<\/strong>, 41, and her husband, Christopher Hu<\/strong>, 40, were taken into custody a month and a half after the FBI searched their home in the Long Island hamlet of Manhasset in late July. They are charged with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy.<\/p>\n Sun and Hu enriched themselves \u201cto the tune of millions of dollars,\u201d according to Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace<\/strong>. Authorities alleged that this money helped them purchase their $3.6 million home in Manhasset, as well as a $2.1 million condo in Honolulu.<\/p>\n Prosecutors detailed other alleged perks, including \u201cNanjing-style salted ducks\u201d prepared by the personal chef of a Chinese government official and sent to Sun\u2019s parents\u2019 home.<\/p>\n \u201cSun wielded her position of influence among executives to covertly promote PRC [People\u2019s Republic of China] and CCP [Chinese Communist Party] agendas, directly threatening our country\u2019s national security,\u201d Peace added in a statement.<\/p>\n Sun had served as deputy chief of staff to Hochul for a year, in addition to holding other state government positions.<\/p>\n While working in state government, Sun allegedly blocked representatives of the Taiwanese government from meeting with officials and attempted to arrange for a high-level New York state official to visit China.<\/p>\n \u201cSun was hired by the Executive Chamber more than a decade ago. We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, immediately reported her actions to law enforcement, and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process,\u201d Hochul\u2019s press secretary, Avi Small<\/strong>, said in a statement.<\/p>\n Prior to her roles in the Hochul administration, Sun held several positions in the Andrew Cuomo<\/strong> administration, including a high-ranking post in the state\u2019s economic development branch that involved organizing international trade missions, according to her LinkedIn account.<\/p>\n