Zhongsan Liu, Visa Fraud and Conspiracy, New Jersey 2023

A New Jersey man has been convicted of participating in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain U.S. visas for Chinese government employees.

Zhongsan Liu, 59, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit visa fraud. Liu operated an office of the China Association for the International Exchange of Personnel (CAIEP) in Fort Lee, New Jersey, an agency of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Liu worked with others to fraudulently procure J-1 research scholar visas for PRC government employees in order to enable those employees to unlawfully work for CAIEP in the United States and to conceal that unlawful work from the United States and its agencies.

Liu helped Liang Xiao, a CAIEP employee, take measures to enhance her false appearance as a research scholar by directing her to report to the university upon her arrival in the United States, ensuring she obtained a local driver’s license, and disguising her CAIEP salary as a subsidy for a research scholar’s living expenses.

Liu also sought to enable Sun Li 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 Sun Li to come to the United States as a J-1 research scholar.

Liu’s conviction carries a maximum sentence of five years. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

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