Chinese National Convicted of Immigration Fraud
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Kaixiang Zhu, 44, of Bentonville, Arkansas, was convicted on Wednesday by a federal jury on charges of conspiracy to commit immigration fraud and immigration fraud, stemming from a 2011 attempt at unlawfully obtain a green card.
Zhu was indicted on June 14, 2012. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Homeland Security Investigations conducted an undercover operation which offered green cards for sale in Northern Virginia hotels. On Aug. 25, 2011, Zhu and others came to a hotel in Crystal City where they were told on videotape that the cards were being obtained unlawfully through a corrupt public official and if they wished to purchase a card they would be fingerprinted. Zhu had been present in the United States without legal status for 10 years and agreed to be fingerprinted despite the warning that doing so was a crime. A total of 24 individuals were charged in 2012. Zhu was located and apprehended in Rogers, Arkansas, at the end of last year.
Zhu faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on Aug. 14, 2015. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Washington, DC; and Maggie A. DeBoard, Chief of the Herndon Police Department, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Herndon Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Friedman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes, Jr., prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:12-cr-258.