The arrested woman, Haiyan Liao, allegedly helped other Chinese people obtain visas to enter the U.S. illegally for profit, including by fraud or intentional misrepresentation.
A 43-year-old Chinese woman was arrested Wednesday (13) in connection with a visa fraud and money laundering scheme in which she allegedly helped other Chinese people obtain visas to enter the United States illegally for profit, including by fraudulent or intentional misrepresentation. She will make her first appearance in federal court in the Eastern District of New York on Thursday (14) following her arrest Wednesday morning in Las Vegas, Nevada.
According to the indictment, from January 2014 to December 2015, Haiyan Liao (pronounced Haiyan Liao, also known as Daisy Liao) conspired with others to fraudulently obtain a 10-year visitor’s visa by providing false statements on applications to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou. She helped at least five separate Chinese individuals travel to the United States during this period.
Under U.S. law, an alien must apply for a visa at the local U.S. Embassy before coming to the United States. If applying for a non-immigrant B1/B2 visa, the applicant must fill out a DS-160 form and then bring the required documents to the embassy for an interview to answer the consul’s questions about the purpose of coming to the United States. Receiving a visa from the U.S. Department of State DOS is a privilege, not a right. In order to obtain a nonimmigrant visa, the applicant must prove (under Section 8 of the Immigration and Nationality Act; Part 1184 of the U.S. Code) that all visa applicants have no intent to remain in the United States.
The indictment alleges that Liao and her co-conspirators submitted fraudulent documents obtained to the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the Department of State, including false birth certificates, marriage certificates, national identity cards, property deeds, and employment certificates, as a way to show that the visa applicants had strong ties to China and would return to their home countries after their family visits, thereby increasing the likelihood of obtaining visas.
Afterwards, Liao Haiyan, along with another defendant, Dr. Ned Michael Moriearty (Dr. Mikem), who lived with her in Las Vegas, instructed the visa applicants on how to answer the consul’s questions; after obtaining the visas, the defendants helped the applicants buy airline tickets, enter the United States, taught them how to go through customs, etc., and traveled around the United States, including New York’s After obtaining the visas, the defendants helped the applicants buy airline tickets, enter the United States, teach them how to go through customs, etc., and travel around the United States, including New York’s Queens and Brooklyn. Both defendants received substantial income from their Chinese associates for these actions.
Seth DuCharme, prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York, charged the defendants with “visa fraud,” money laundering, and “illegally bringing Chinese nationals into the United States.
The defendants “provided forged documents and instructed their associates on how to lie during visa interviews and customs inspections. Docham said in a statement. “Our law enforcement agencies are vigilant and committed to protecting the integrity of the immigration process and border security and preventing criminals from profiting from the process of subverting the rule of law.
Liao Haiyan’s co-defendant, Dr. Mikken, recently died. Haiyan Liao is a naturalized citizen and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
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