‘My Husband Is Innocent’: Martha Byrne Speaks Out After DOJ Sends Former NYPD Cop to Prison

he former soap star says her family was targeted by rogue federal agents and is calling for a presidential pardon after a trial she describes as a political hit job.

LANSING, Mich - Martha Byrne, best known for her decades-long role on the soap opera As the World Turns, is stepping into a real-life drama far more serious than anything on screen. Her husband, Michael McMahon, a decorated former NYPD sergeant turned private investigator, is now serving 18 months in federal prison for crimes Byrne insists he did not commit — and she’s on a national crusade to clear his name.

Byrne sat down for an exclusive interview to detail how her husband went from public servant to federal inmate, and how she believes the Department of Justice has twisted a legitimate investigation into a dangerous political spectacle.

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I walked away from my job in the mainstream media after 25 years to go independent. If you don’t already do so help me to keep doing this work. It’s less than $1 per week. You can leave at anytime.

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The Timeline

McMahon served in the NYPD in the 1990s during New York City’s crime-ridden years, earning 78 medals and participating in high-risk assignments, including school safety supervision and gun violence response in Times Square. After an on-duty car accident forced his early retirement, McMahon turned to private investigation — a field where he had considerable success, even working on cases for the Vatican and U.S. political figures.

In 2016, McMahon was hired through a Queens-based translation firm to track down a Chinese national in New Jersey accused of stealing millions from his family business. According to Byrne, McMahon followed all the legal procedures — retaining a contract, notifying police departments, maintaining receipts, and hiring two retired NYPD officers to assist. The job paid only a few thousand dollars.

Years later, in 2020, federal agents showed up at the McMahon home and arrested him. He was charged with acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government and interstate stalking, accused of helping China’s communist government track and intimidate a Chinese fugitive living in the U.S. as part of "Operation Fox Hunt."

McMahon was ultimately convicted on lesser charges — but not on the headline-grabbing accusation of conspiring with the Chinese government. Byrne said even that conviction was based on false assumptions and suppressed evidence.

“They Lied. They Suppressed. They Manufactured.”

Byrne alleges that federal prosecutors and FBI agents distorted the truth to fit a narrative. “They lied on criminal complaints, they manufactured evidence, and they suppressed the information that exonerated Mike,” she said.

Among the suppressed material, she claims, were interviews and documents that would have proven McMahon’s actions were legal and ordinary for a licensed private investigator. She says McMahon was hired through a U.S. translation company and was recommended by a former U.S. Attorney — not by Chinese agents. “If the FBI had done its job, they would’ve discovered in one day that this had nothing to do with the Chinese government,” Byrne said.

Even more troubling to her was the government’s refusal to let the defense present critical information — such as the alleged victim’s immigration fraud, wire fraud, and real estate crimes. “The jury never got to hear the whole story,” she said.

Lawmakers Rally to McMahon’s Side

Byrne isn’t alone in her belief that justice went off the rails. As previously reported by the New York Post, lawmakers including U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) have spoken out in support of McMahon.

“I strongly disagree with the sentencing. I believe the charges brought by the DOJ against Mr. McMahon were wrong from the start,” Lawler said in a public statement.

Even the House Oversight Committee referenced McMahon’s case in a 2024 report criticizing the Department of Justice for its handling of CCP-related investigations. Byrne believes her husband's conviction is a prime example of government overreach and politicized prosecution.

A Broken System, A Family Torn Apart

Today, McMahon is imprisoned over 600 miles from his New Jersey home, a violation of the Trump-era First Step Act, according to Byrne. She says the judge sentenced him not because of any proven harm but due to his lack of “remorse” for individuals who Byrne insists are criminals.

“We’ve been married for 34 years. We’ve never spent more than two weeks apart,” Byrne said tearfully. “Now I can’t even call him. And he’s heartbroken.”

The Pipe Hitter Foundation, founded by Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, is advocating on behalf of McMahon. Byrne has also published a book, In the Interest of Justice, outlining the case and what she calls a “weaponization” of the federal justice system.

“This isn't just about my husband,” she said. “This is about protecting the rights of every American. If we don't fix this system, more innocent people will be destroyed.”

Byrne says she’s praying for a presidential pardon from Donald Trump and is ready to dedicate her life to fighting for other wrongly accused Americans.

“This isn’t over,” she said. “We are far from done.”

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Related:
📘 In the Interest of Justice – Martha Byrne's book
💻 Michael McMahon’s case details – Pipe Hitter Foundation