Visa-Fraud Scheme Helped Chinese Fugitives Live in U.S., China Asks for Extradition

The FBI raided California Immigrant Investment Fund, LLC at the Hilton in San Gabriel last Wednesday, as well a home on Carriage House Drive in Arcadia, as part of an ongoing investigation into EB-5 visa fraud. (Read further on the raids here).

The firm catered to Chinese investors, aiding them with the application process to acquire a green card in exchange for investing $500,000 and creating 10 jobs.

The fugitives left China in the late 2000s and received their green cards in 2010.

Three of the investors are Chinese fugitives, two of whom are on the most wanted list and are actively sought by Interpol, according to the affidavit. A male, Xu Jin, and a female, Liu Fang, were identified by China Daily in their reporting of the incident. They are both husband and wife from the same province of Hubei, China. Xu is No. 13 on China’s most wanted list while Liu is No. 66.

During their time as highly-paid directors: Xu, a director of the Wuhan Municipal Development and Reform Commission, and Liu, a deputy director of the Hubei branch of China Life Insurance Co., they were accused of embezzling funds and accepting bribes totaling in millions of dollars.

Both, if convicted of these crimes in China, are threatened with the maximum punishment of the death penalty.

Aside from crimes in China, the pair may face crimes here in the U.S. The 10 workers listed on the EB-5 applications necessary to prove “job creation” were nonexistent, and were the same “workers” on all the applications for the fugitives.

Currently, there is no extradition treaty with China; fugitives from China end up going to the U.S. because of this. In 2015 when Sky Net unveiled their list, where Xu and Liu were pictured, 40 of the most wanted lived in the U.S., according to

According to China Daily, no arrests have been made, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said they could face charges of visa fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to defraud the federal government.

The FBI simply conducted searches and it is too premature to see if charges and/or arrests would follow.

The third fugitive known as “K.L.” has not been identified by Chinese authorities and is not believed to be on the most wanted list.

http://www.monroviaweekly.com/current-news/crime/visa-fraud-scheme-helped-chinese-fugitives-live-in-u-s-china-asks-for-extradition/

Mentions

• California Investment Immigration Fund (CIIF)

Litigation Cases

• Federal Bureau of Investigation vs California Investment Immigration Fund (CIIF)

States

• California