Tommy Lin, a senior official in the former Mayor de Blasio administration, was sentenced on Thursday in federal court in Manhattan to two years of probation and 200 hours of community service for his role in a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme. He was also ordered to forfeit $20,000 in criminal proceeds and pay an additional $20,000 in restitution to the federal government.
Lin expressed deep remorse in court. “I’m sorry for my actions… I make no excuses and accept full responsibility,” he told the judge with tears. “I feel ashamed of myself… and I want to make up for what I have done.”
Lin, 44, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to convert government records and property after federal prosecutors accused him of helping defraud more than a dozen financial institutions out of at least $10 million. He originally faced charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud affecting a financial institution, and aggravated identity theft.
Lin was arrested in June 2024, following the earlier arrests of his co-defendants Naifeng Xu, Zhongshi Gao, and Fei Jiang in November 2023. They are accused of stealing and laundering over $10 million by defrauding multiple financial institutions and funneling the money through foreign cryptocurrency exchanges. Prosecutors said the group used the identities of temporary immigrants from China and Taiwan to open bank accounts and falsely report unauthorized transactions in order to obtain refunds.
Ahead of the sentencing, Lin’s attorney submitted multiple letters to the court from Chinese community leaders and family members urging leniency, citing Lin’s long-standing record of public service, community involvement, and personal challenges, which included Lin’s struggles with having cerebral palsy. Supporters portrayed him as a dedicated civic leader and asked the court to consider a non-custodial sentence involving community service.
But federal prosecutors sought a minimum of 36 months in prison, arguing Lin acted out of greed and abused his government connections to support a complex fraud ring. They cited text messages in which Lin allegedly demanded payments and bragged about using his law enforcement contacts to aid co-conspirators. In one instance, Lin allegedly accepted a $20,000 cash bribe from co-conspirator Naifeng Xu to help arrange the arrest of a disgruntled Chinese participant in the scheme, using his connections to ICE deportation officer Henry Yau.
Prosecutors also pointed to a side business through which Lin allegedly referred undocumented immigrants to an attorney in exchange for money, granting him access to sensitive personal data that could be later exploited in the scheme.
Lin’s case sent shockwaves through the Chinese community in New York City, where he had been seen as a rising political figure and a trusted liaison between immigrant neighborhoods and city institutions. He served as director of community affairs under Mayor Bill de Blasio from 2014 to 2019 and previously acted as a senior advisor to the New York City Police Department’s Asian Advisory Council. Prior to his arrest, he worked at the Department of Environmental Protection.
Calling it a “rather unusual case,” U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon noted that Lin, who previously led “a good and noble life” and had no prior criminal history, played a limited role in the conspiracy. “It’s so unbelievably out of character,” she said during the sentencing. McMahon also remarked that “not a single bank account” was opened as a result of the information Lin provided to his co-conspirators and criticized prosecutors for overstating Lin’s involvement.
Still, Judge McMahon emphasized the seriousness of Lin’s conduct, saying that the real crime he committed was “taking money to get someone wrongfully arrested.” She was referring to Lin’s alleged acceptance of a $20,000 bribe to help arrange the arrest of a disgruntled participant in the scheme who could have become a cooperating witness. According to prosecutors, the individual, a Chinese national, was detained for over three months.
In weighing the sentence, the judge cited Lin’s medical condition, his status as the primary provider for his family, and his current unemployment. She said she believed Lin could do “more redemptive work” through community service than by serving time behind bars.
Lin is required to report to the probation department within three days and complete 200 hours of community service during the 2-year probation period.
