LOS ANGELES – A former Chinese official’s ex-wife has been arrested in Washington state on charges of immigration fraud and money laundering.
Shilan Zhao, 51, was taken into custody yesterday in Newcastle, Washington, after a federal grand jury indictment was unsealed, accusing her and her ex-husband Jianjun Qiao of conspiring to commit immigration fraud and international transport of stolen funds.
The indictment alleges that the couple falsely portrayed themselves as still married and lied about the source of Zhao’s foreign investment, which was required under the EB-5 immigrant investor program to obtain U.S. immigrant visas.
Zhao allegedly stated under oath that she had an ownership interest in the companies providing the $500,000 minimum investment, which investigators later learned she did not.
The indictment also states that the couple purchased a residence in Newcastle with laundered money related to fraudulent transactions from a grain storehouse in Zhoukou City, Henan Province, China, where Qiao served as director from 1998 to 2011.
As part of the indictment, the federal government is seeking the forfeiture of property obtained through the proceeds of the scheme, including the house in Newcastle, Washington, which was purchased with approximately $500,000 in laundered money.
Zhao appeared in federal court in Seattle, Washington, where the indictment was unsealed, and was ordered detained without bond. Qiao remains at large and is being sought by U.S. authorities.
If convicted, Zhao faces statutory maximum sentences of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit international transport of stolen funds and immigration fraud, 10 years for immigration fraud, and 20 years for money laundering conspiracy.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: White Collar Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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