Inside the VERY lavish NYC liquor store ‘run by Chinese spy’ where you can still buy $5k bottles of whiskey

It’s an upscale liquor store in an unassuming New York neighborhood where the biggest concern shoppers once had was whether or not spending $5,000 on a bottle of whiskey was a good idea. Now there’s an even bigger problem.

The store’s owner, Christopher Hu, 40, and his wife Linda Sun, 41, were arrested this week at their $4.1 million Long Island mansion as part of a sweeping FBI operation to bust a “Chinese espionage network” that had infiltrated the highest echelons of the Democratic Party.

Sun, a former deputy chief of staff to Gov. Kathy Hochul and a former aide to Andrew Cuomo, was accused of acting as an undisclosed agent for the Chinese government and using the proceeds of her illegal work to fund the family’s lavish lifestyle. She and her businessman husband were also charged with money laundering. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Locals and customers of Hu’s Queens liquor store, Leivine Wine & Spirits, are stunned by the arrests, with one customer who left an online review this week saying, “The store is very nice. I’m a little concerned though that the owner and his wife have been arrested by the FBI.”

Located in the heart of Flushing at 33-70 Farrington Street, the store features a huge collection of some of the most expensive premium wines and spirits on the market.

In the basement of the building, the shelves are filled with exclusive drinks. For example, a bottle of Dalmore single malt whisky 30 years old, imported from Scotland, costs a whopping $5,200.

Inside, decorative bottles are on display, including bottles of vodka in the shape of a gun, made in Ukraine, and a large gold screw-top bottle. There are also special bottles of rum in the shape of a baseball bat.

The store also features a temperature-controlled wine room, selling bottles ranging in price from as much as $20,000 to $50,000.

Three framed photographs hung on the wall.

One had a certificate from the New York State Liquor Authority. The second, a certificate of authenticity dated September 20, 2022.

The third photo showed two framed hundred dollar bills.

A young man of Asian descent who works in the store was shocked to hear that his boss, Christopher Hu, and his wife had been arrested.

“That’s not possible,” the 20-year-old told DailyMail.com.

“I had no idea.”

The employee, who said the store opened in 2022, said he had only been working there for a few months, adding that Hu comes by occasionally with his wife.

When asked if Hu is a good boss, the young man laughed and replied, “He is a boss.”

Hu’s liquor store is one of many business ventures he has undertaken in recent years. He also founded a company called Medical Supplies USA during the pandemic, New York Times reported.

When DailyMail.com asked the US Attorney’s Office why the liquor store was still open after Hu’s arrest, a spokesperson replied “no comment.”

Sun was dramatically arrested on Tuesday, along with her husband, after their $4 million home in Manhasset, Long Island was raided earlier in the morning.

Sun and Hu are accused of taking millions in bribes from the Chinese Communist Party, which allowed them to afford a lavish lifestyle that includes a $2 million Hawaiian apartment and a 2024 Ferrari.

Sun is also said to have used her influence to advance China’s geopolitical agenda by banning meetings with Taiwanese officials and diverting her message away from criticism of Beijing’s persecution of Uighur Muslims.

She and her husband pleaded not guilty to all charges Tuesday. Her bail was set at $1.5 million, while Hu’s is $500,000.

Hochul said she has been helping the Justice Department with their investigation for months and will continue to cooperate with them.

She criticized Sun’s actions as an “absolute betrayal of the trust of two governments in the state government,” which she said included forging her signature on documents.

Hochul also stressed that she still has confidence in the screening process, claiming that as a “mid-level employee,” Sun had no real influence on its policies.

Huang Ping, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in New York, was ousted following Sun’s espionage allegations.

Neighbors of the couple’s luxury home in Manhasset on Long Island, New York, told DailyMail.com how shocked they were after the arrests.

One resident said that six weeks ago, while walking his dog, he saw more than 20 FBI cars and the dog squad outside his house.

“It was unbelievable,” he recalls.

“Everyone is very shocked and surprised. None of us really knew who they were.”

He said he only spoke to Hu when he moved into the multimillion-dollar mansion three or four years ago, but others believe they’ve been living there longer.

The neighbor said that when Hu asked him what he did for a living, he told him he was a contractor and that he owned several other businesses.

He also said he occasionally saw Sun and an older woman, who may also live in the home, taking walks through the community.

Another neighbor said they “kept to themselves,” but “had the occasional party and had people over.”

“Nobody knows what anybody does for a living. It’s a very private area, and people go about their business and keep to themselves,” he added.

He said that when they first moved in, he noticed that they had done a lot of renovations to their home.

The neighbor remembered being home when the couple’s three cars were impounded, but he couldn’t remember what kind of vehicles they had.

He described the situation as follows: the street was closed off and he saw that things were being removed from the house until late at night.

When asked what he thought about his neighbor being an alleged Chinese agent, he seemed bewildered.

“What secrets can she get from the governor of New York State to tell the Chinese,” he said.