国产热热热精品,亚洲视频久久】日韩,三级婷婷在线久久,99人妻精品视频,精品九热人人肉肉在线,AV东京热一区二区,91po在线视频观看,久久激情宗合,青青草黄色手机视频

World / US and Canada

Birthing center witnesses charged with violating court orders

By LIA ZHU in San Francisco (China Daily USA) Updated: 2015-05-04 10:43

Federal arrest warrants have been issued for 11 Chinese witnesses in connection with the birthing centers case in Southern California.

The charges include visa fraud, obstruction of justice and contempt of court, for leaving the United States after being ordered to remain as material witnesses.

One of the defendants was charged only with visa fraud, as she had not yet been designated a witness, according to a May 1 news release from the US Attorney's office in Santa Ana, California.

In March, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided 37 birthing centers, also called maternity hotels, to collect evidence for alleged visa and tax fraud.

Twenty-nine Chinese persons were designated by US Magistrate Judges as witnesses to testify against the business operators, who allegedly helped women come to the US on fraudulent visas, in order to give birth to children who would become US citizens.

Ten of them, however, jumped bail of $5,000 and returned to China early last month.

All of the defendants are fugitives now, and if convicted, they face maximum sentences of 25 years for false statement on a visa application and five years for obstruction of justice, according to the news release sent to reporters. "There is no maximum penalty for the charge of criminal contempt of court," it says.

The defendants were shocked when learning about the charges pressed against them, according to Jing Wang, an attorney representing three of the absconding witnesses.

"They seemed worried and said they were willing to cooperate [with the court]," Wang told China Daily. "Now they are trying to collect evidence [against the business operators] in China, which is difficult to obtain from the US. I think the judge might be interested in it," she said.

Wang said the charges were more of a deterrent. "It sends the message that those who take advantage of US policies or do not abide by laws will pay a price," she said.

According to criminal complaints, a Chinese government official was among the defendants. The 46-year-old He Dongjiang listed his occupation as "government" on his visa application and his position as "project manager and secretary-general" for China Nonferrous Metals Techno-Economic Research Institute in Beijing.

His wife, Yu Zhichan, entered the US in Hawaii but intended to stay in Southern California to give birth. The couple were designated as material witness on March 16 and each posted $5,000 in bail. On April 16, they left Los Angeles on an Air China flight to Beijing,

The birthing centers business was started 10 years ago by immigrants from Taiwan. All-inclusive package and services were eventually offered, from coaching classes on visa-application techniques to applying for US passports for the babies.

The court documents said the defendants paid up to $50,000 to obtain temporary visitor's visas by fraudulently claiming that their stay was only for several days. They usually entered the US from Hawaii or Las Vegas because the birthing-business operators had advised them that it was easier to gain entry and clear border inspections there.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com

 

Trudeau visits Sina Weibo
May gets little gasp as EU extends deadline for sufficient progress in Brexit talks
Ethiopian FM urges strengthened Ethiopia-China ties
Yemen's ex-president Saleh, relatives killed by Houthis
Most Popular
Hot Topics

...
湘潭县| 邢台县| 成武县| 东方市| 绥德县| 河北省| 滨海县| 乡宁县| 甘德县| 聂拉木县| 泽库县| 那曲县| 琼海市| 通许县| 苏州市| 容城县| 牟定县| 湘阴县| 浙江省| 花莲市| 武穴市| 徐州市| 离岛区| 中江县| 安泽县| 华坪县| 黄山市| 灵武市| 夏津县| 彩票| 新化县| 内丘县| 河源市| 鹿泉市| 封丘县| 轮台县| 招远市| 雷山县| 鸡泽县| 金华市| 楚雄市|