{"id":126182,"date":"2019-02-03T14:32:10","date_gmt":"2019-02-03T19:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breaking911.com\/?p=126182"},"modified":"2019-02-03T14:32:10","modified_gmt":"2019-02-03T19:32:10","slug":"us-arrests-birth-tourism-operators-linked-to-china-for-the-first-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breaking911.com\/us-arrests-birth-tourism-operators-linked-to-china-for-the-first-time\/","title":{"rendered":"US arrests ‘birth tourism’ operators linked to China for the first time"},"content":{"rendered":"

Federal prosecutors unseal indictments naming 19 people linked to Chinese ‘birth tourism’ schemes that helped thousands of aliens give birth in US to secure birthright citizenship for their children<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

SANTA ANA, Calif. \u2013 Following the arrests this morning of three defendants who allegedly operated \u201cbirth tourism\u201d outfits that catered to Chinese clients, federal authorities today unsealed indictments that charge a total of 19 people linked to three schemes that operated across Southern California and charged clients tens of thousands of dollars to help them give birth in the United States.<\/p>\n

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The indictments charge operators and clients of three \u201cmaternity house\u201d or \u201cbirthing house\u201d schemes that were dismantled in March 2015 when federal agents executed 35 search warrants, which resulted from international undercover operations.<\/p>\n

The 17 cases unsealed today contain the first-ever federal criminal charges brought against operators and customers of birth tourism businesses. The birth tourism operations not only committed widespread immigration fraud and engaged in international money laundering, they also defrauded property owners when leasing the apartments and houses used in their birth tourism schemes, according to the indictments.<\/p>\n

These cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u2019s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles. Substantial assistance was provided by IRS Criminal Investigation, as well as the Irvine Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff\u2019s Department.<\/p>\n

The indictments describe birth tourism schemes in which foreign nationals, mostly from China, applied for visitor visas to come to the United States and lied about the length of their trips, where they would stay, and the purposes of their trips \u2013 which were to come to the U.S. for three months to give birth so their children would receive U.S. birthright citizenship.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmerica\u2019s way of life is not for sale,\u201d said Joseph Macias, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Los Angeles. \u201cHSI will aggressively target those who would make a mockery of our laws and our values to benefit and enrich themselves. No one needs to be reminded about the national security and public safety implications of visa fraud and the crimes associated with it. Anyone who would exploit our nation\u2019s generosity and our legal immigration system should be on notice \u2013 they may end up being the ones to pay a very steep price.\u201d<\/div>\n

According to the indictments that charge the operators of the schemes, they coached their Chinese customers how to pass the U.S. Consulate interview in China by falsely stating that they were going to stay in the U.S. for only two weeks. Their clients were also coached to trick U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at ports of entry by wearing loose clothing that would conceal their pregnancies. The indictments also allege that the customers were directed to fly to Hawaii from China \u2013 instead of directly to Los Angeles \u2013 because it was easier to get by CBP in Hawaii. The indictments allege that many of the Chinese birth tourism customers failed to pay all of the medical costs associated with their hospital births, and the debts were referred to collection.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese cases allege a wide array of criminal schemes that sought to defeat our immigration laws \u2013 laws that welcome foreign visitors so long as they are truthful about their intentions when entering the country,\u201d said Nick Hanna, U.S. Attorney for the Central District California. \u201cStatements by the operators of these birthing houses show contempt for the United States, while they were luring clients with the power and prestige of U.S. citizenship for their children. Some of the wealthy clients of these businesses also showed blatant contempt for the U.S. by ignoring court orders directing them to stay in the country to assist with the investigation and by skipping out on their unpaid hospital bills.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three indictments returned Wednesday by a federal grand jury charge the operators of large birth tourism operations based in Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Pursuant to this week\u2019s indictments, federal authorities this morning arrested three defendants: Dongyuan Li (\u674e\u51ac\u5a9b<\/span>), 41, of Irvine; Michael Wei Yueh Liu (\u5218\u7ef4\u5cb3<\/span>), 53, of Rancho Cucamonga; and Jing Dong (\u8463\u6676<\/span>), 42, of Fontana. All three are charged with conspiracy to commit immigration fraud, international money laundering and identity theft. Liu is also charged with filing three false tax returns.<\/p>\n

According to the indictments charging the operators, all three businesses touted the benefits of giving birth in the U.S., rather than in China, with claims of the U.S. having \u201cthe most attractive nationality\u201d; \u201cbetter air\u201d and less pollution; \u201cpriority for jobs in U.S. government\u201d; superior educational resources, including \u201cfree education from junior high school to public high school\u201d; a more stable political situation; and the potential to \u201creceive your senior supplement benefits when you are living overseas.\u201d<\/p>\n

The indictment naming Li alleges that she operated an Orange County-based business named You Win USA that advertised its \u201c100-person team\u201d in China and the U.S. had served more than 500 Chinese birth tourism customers. Li allegedly used 20 apartments in Irvine, charged each customer $40,000 to $80,000, and received $3 million in international wire transfers from China in just two years. The indictment details communications in which Li referred to U.S. immigration authorities as \u201cthe foreigners\u201d and also discussed whether to refund a down payment because, once the customer found out \u201cthe baby is a girl, her husband arranged abortion for her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReceiving a tourist visa from the United States Government is a privilege, not a right,\u201d stated IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson.\u00a0 \u201cThe indictments announced today confirm IRS Criminal Investigation\u2019s commitment to following the money \u2013 from China to the United States \u2013 to help identify the promoters of this alleged illegal international birth tourism scheme. Using cash, fabricated financial documents, and nominee names for the transfer of money from China to the U.S., the promoters attempted to further their lucrative birth tourism enterprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

(The investigation into Li\u2019s operation led to another investigation, which resulted in criminal charges against the 20th person to be charged in this matter. Attorney\u00a0Ken Zhuyin Liang<\/a>\u00a0was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for helping material witnesses flee to China in violation of court orders.)<\/p>\n

Another indictment filed this week charges Wen Rui Deng (\u9093\u6587\u745e<\/span>), 65, a former Irvine resident who is believed to now be in China, with operating Star Baby Care, a Los Angeles County-based operation that is believed to have been the largest birth tourism scheme in the U.S. On its websites, Star Baby Care boasted that it was founded in 1999 as the \u201cnumber one designated maternity service to the pregnant mother from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan,\u201d and had \u201cprovided services to 8,000 pregnant women (4,000 from China) since we established.\u201d The indictment alleges that Deng\u2019s scheme used 30 apartments in Rowland Heights and 10 properties in Irvine, including some houses. Deng\u2019s scheme served many customers alleged to be Chinese officials, including some associated with Chinese Central Television, China Telecom, Bank of China, and two local taxation bureaus.<\/p>\n

In the third indictment filed this week, Liu and Dong are accused of operating USA Happy Baby Inc., a San Bernardino County-based company that charged \u201cVIP\u201d customers as much as $100,000. Using apartments in Rancho Cucamonga and Irvine, USA Happy Baby allegedly also served Chinese officials, including people associated with the Henan People\u2019s Radio Station in Zhengzhou, the Public Security Bureau in the Beijing Municipal Government, and the Harbin Medical University in Heilongjiang Province. Liu and USA Happy Baby are also charged with filing false tax returns that failed to report more than $1.9 million received over three years. The indictment also alleges that Liu and Dong used 14 different bank accounts to receive more than $3.4 million in international wire transfers from China during 2013 and 2014 alone.<\/p>\n

There are 16 fugitive defendants whose indictments were unsealed today include. They are:<\/p>\n