A former aide to New York governors Kathy Hochul and Andrew Cuomo, Linda Sun, was arrested at her Long Island home on Tuesday and charged with acting as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese government, according to prosecutors.

Sun, 41, who served in various roles within New York state government, including as deputy chief of staff for Governor Kathy Hochul and deputy diversity officer under former Governor Andrew Cuomo, was arrested alongside her 40-year-old husband, Chris Hu, at their $4 million residence in Manhasset.

The FBI had previously searched their home in July but did not disclose any details at the time. Both Sun and Hu pleaded not guilty during their court appearance on Tuesday.

Sun faces charges under the Foreign Agents Registration Act for allegedly acting as an undisclosed agent of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party. U.S. Attorney Breon Peace stated, “As alleged, while appearing to serve the people of New York…the defendant and her husband actually worked to further the interests of the Chinese government and the CCP.” Peace added that the scheme allegedly benefited Sun’s family by millions of dollars.

Prosecutors claim Sun took actions on behalf of Chinese officials, including blocking Taiwanese representatives from meeting high-level New York officials, altering state messaging on Chinese government issues, and attempting to facilitate a high-level New York politician’s trip to China.

In exchange, her husband received business advantages in China, which prosecutors say enabled the couple to acquire their multimillion-dollar Long Island home, a $1.9 million condo in Hawaii, and luxury vehicles including a 2024 Ferrari. Hu is facing additional charges of money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and misuse of means of identification.

If proven true, the allegations suggest that Chinese authorities managed to gain influence at the highest levels of New York state government for nearly a decade.