New York–ZHONGSAN LIU was arrested today for his involvement in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain U.S. visas for Chinese government employees.
LIU, 57, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court:
From approximately 2017, up to and including September 2019, LIU participated in a conspiracy to fraudulently procure U.S. visas for employees of the government of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC Government”). LIU operates the New York office of the China Association for International Exchange of Personnel (“CAIEP-NY”). CAIEP-NY is a PRC Government agency that, among other things, engages in talent-recruitment for the benefit of the PRC. In particular, CAIEP recruits U.S. scientists, academics, engineers, and other experts to work in China.
LIU worked with others, including other PRC Government employees in the United States, to fraudulently procure J-1 Research Scholar visas for a CAIEP-NY employee (“CC-1”) and a prospective CAIEP-NY employee (“the CAIEP-NY Hire”). The J-1 Research Scholar visa program permits foreign nationals to come to the United States for the primary purpose of conducting research at a corporate research facility, museum, library, university, or other research institution.
In or about April 2018, CC-1 applied for and received a J-1 visa to conduct research at a particular U.S. university (“University-1”) located outside New York. Although CC-1 represented to the U.S. Government that she was entering the United States for the primary purpose of conducting research at University-1, CC-1’s actual purpose in the United States consisted of performing full-time talent-recruitment work at CAIEP-NY. LIU helped CC-1 take measures to enhance her false appearance as a Research Scholar at University-1 by, among other things, directing CC-1 to report to University-1 upon her arrival in the United States; ensuring that CC-1 obtained a driver’s license in the state where University-1 is located; and instructing CC-1 to periodically visit University-1 while working full-time at CAIEP-NY.
In addition, LIU attempted to enable the CAIEP-NY Hire to obtain a J-1 Research Scholar visa under false pretenses. In particular, LIU reached out to contacts at multiple U.S. universities in order to arrange for a university to invite the CAIEP-NY Hire to come to the United States as a J-1 Research Scholar. In truth and in fact, however, LIU intended that the CAIEP-NY Hire’s primary purpose in the United States would consist of engaging full-time in the talent-recruitment work of CAIEP-NY.
