Former Malden tenant faces federal illegal voting charge in alleged ‘revenge’ scheme against former landlord

Ex-local resident also allegedly filed false applications to surrender green cards,

endangering couple’s residency status

By Steve Freker

A former Malden tenant posed as an ex-landlord to illegally vote in the 2024 Presidential election, then anonymously reported that the second man voted illegally, hoping to endanger his residency status, according to a report from the U.S. Attorney of Massachusetts office. Yupeng Sun, 33, of Andover and formerly of Malden, a Chinese national, in a related part of an alleged “revenge” scheme, also — initially — successfully petitioned the Boston Immigration Court to revoke the green cards of the ex-landlord and his wife, according to reports. Details of both parts of the alleged scheme were included in a press release from the Department of Justice. The scheme apparently was concocted and acted upon by Sun in retaliation for his being evicted from the ex-landlord’s house in 2023, where he had rented a room from 2021-2023.

In 2023, according to reports, Sun was arrested on an assault and battery charge involving an adult relative of the man he’d later allegedly impersonate. The charges were dismissed over a year later, but Sun claimed in court he’d been unlawfully evicted.

The Malden man and his wife, who are also Chinese nationals, but hold green cards signifying permanent resident status, were nearly deported as a result of Sun’s alleged scheme, but they were able to successfully petition the Boston Immigration Court to restore their green cards.

Sun was due in federal court in Boston on Wednesday to answer the charges, each of which provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Nonresident defendants are also subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed.

According to the criminal complaint, Sun allegedly admitted to investigators last month that he used the former landlord’s name to vote at the Beebe School, Malden polling place in the 2024 Presidential Election, confirming he still had bad feelings toward the man he allegedly impersonated. According to reports, Sun was able to register to vote via a state-operated mechanism online through the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website.

According to reports, the man and his wife had forms submitted in their names — allegedly by Sun — seeking to give up legal permanent resident status. When they flew back to the U.S. from a trip abroad, they were taken into custody at Logan Airport and deportation proceedings began, according to the complaint. Later that year, in October, the victim had a voter registration application submitted, and an early voting ballot was cast in his name at the Beebe School. The Malden man and woman, who reside in the city’s West End neighborhood, were successful in efforts to restore their green card status.

The result of Sun’s arraignment in federal court Wednesday was not immediately able to be determined.

The arrest closely followed news from the Department of Justice that Massachusetts is one of six states where federal election monitors will be sent this coming fall in order to ensure certain civil rights accessibilities and that voter fraud does not occur. According to reports, election monitors are being sent to Boston and New Bedford for the September primary election. The two Massachusetts cities are among 15 jurisdictions across the country federal monitors have been assigned to for their respective primary elections.