Chinese National Arrested for Alleged Voter Fraud Scheme

A 33-year-old Chinese citizen named Yupeng Sun was apprehended in Massachusetts on Wednesday. He stands accused of a rather unusual scheme aimed at involving another individual in voter fraud.

Sun allegedly pretended to be a different Chinese national who holds legal permanent resident status, with the intent of deceiving his target into voting in the upcoming 2024 election. This information comes from a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

In a rather convoluted aspect of his alleged crime, Sun is accused of sending several anonymous tips to Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, claiming that his victims had engaged in illegal voting.

He is also reported to have submitted two false immigration documents under the names of the victim and his spouse, leading to the confiscation of both their green cards. Consequently, they faced removal proceedings as a result.

According to prosecutors, Sun went so far as to impersonate his victim, registering online to vote and even casting an early ballot at Malden City Hall. Notably, he continued to send anonymous complaints about his victims, alleging their participation in illegal voting during the presidential election.

Sun also purportedly impersonated a married couple to encourage them to give up their legal permanent resident status.

The couple came to realize what was happening upon returning to the United States from a trip in June 2024, whereupon their green cards were seized during a secondary inspection at the Boston airport.

The Department of Justice highlighted that authorities from the Lexington and Andover police departments played a critical role in the investigation that uncovered Sun’s alleged plot.

Facing serious charges, Sun has been indicted on one count of fraudulent voter registration and another for fraudulent voting.

The victims had previously reported that Sun was their tenant, noting that he had harassed and retaliated against them, pushing them to leave the country. There was also a prior arrest where Sun was suspected of assaulting the victim’s daughter, although those charges were eventually dropped.

During a police interview, Sun expressed that he was “very, very” angry with the victim and her daughter, and he seemed to acknowledge his involvement in signing certain documents.