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[24-news-press-things]

AMERICAN FRAUDSTERS ATTEMPT TO BULLY BLITZ

While in 2023 an investigation led by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in collaboration with multiple international media partners, did unveil the widespread abuse of citizenship by investment programs in the Caribbean, particularly in Dominica, and where the probe shed light on the intricate web of fraudulent schemes that allowed criminals to secure citizenship in exchange for substantial investments, tarnishing the reputation of these programs, one of the prime accused in the investigation was Danhong “Jean” Chen, an immigration lawyer from Atherton, California, who was indicted in 2018 for orchestrating a fraudulent scheme with her husband. The couple amassed over US$12 million by embezzling funds from foreign investors seeking US residency over nearly a decade. Chen’s escape from the US using a Dominican passport under an assumed name – Maria Sofia Taylor – raised serious questions about the program’s oversight and due diligence protocols.

On October 30, 2023, Blitz published a report giving details of the matter, on February 1, 2024 – more than two months of publication of it, a suspicious email was received by this newspaper from an individual named Shifeng Yue, who pretended to be a lawyer.

Dear Editor,

Upon examination, the following URLs is untrue and contain defaming content regarding my client Law Offices of Jean D. Chen. Please remove defaming images.

Thank you.

Shifeng Yue

Attorney at Law

Mission Pacific Global Law Group

226 Airport Parkway Suite 600

San Jose, CA 95110.

In addition to sending such ridiculous emails directly to newspaper, the individuals involved in visa scams and connections with controversial citizenship and passport selling ventures of Dominica and other Caribbean island nations, have also been attempting to get news links removed from Google search by employing ‘Reputation Management Firms’ through pressing fictitious copyright claims under the under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act. While searching information on Danhong “Jean” Chen (Jean Danhong Chen, age 54), alias Maria Sofia Taylor and her business partner Jianyun “Tony” Ye (Tony Jianyun Ye, age 51), the Google search result says: “In response to multiple complaints that we received under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we have removed 8 results from this page. If you wish, you may read the DMCA complaints that caused the removals at LumenDatabase.org: Complaint, Complaint”.

Danhong Jean Chen alias Maria Sofia Taylor with Michelle Obama It may be mentioned here that most of the criminals looking to getting contents removed from Google search engine are using Tumblr for creating back-dated posts on this site for their attempted copyright claims.

According to the US Department of Justice (DoJ) Danhong “Jean” Chen (54), alias Maria Sofia Taylor and her business partner Jianyun “Tony” Ye (51) “submitted to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) fraudulent documents that contained false signatures and falsely described how applicants would qualify for the EB-5 program”. They were charged under the US penal codes on allegations of visa fraud, obstruction of Justice, and aggravated identity theft.

Immediately after completion of investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and before being indicted by the US court, Danhong “Jean Chan (54) fled the United States and became a naturalized citizen of Dominica in October 2018. She might have used a different name – Maria Sofia Taylor while buying Dominica citizenship.

It may be mentioned here that on March 26, 2019, the United States Attorney’s Office in a press release titled ‘Owner Of South Bay Law Firm And Office Manager Charged With Committing Large-Scale Immigration Visa Fraud’ said:

A federal grand jury indicted Danhong “Jean” Chen, a/k/a Maria Sofia Taylor, and her business partner Jianyun “Tony” Ye in connection with an immigration visa fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett, Securities and Exchange Commission Office of the Inspector General, Inspector General Carl Hoecker. The 14-count indictment, filed March 7, 2019, and unsealed late yesterday, alleges the defendants committed visa fraud and related crimes to obtain immigration benefits for more than 100 foreign investors through the government’s Employment-Based Immigration Fifth Preference, or “EB-5,” visa program.

According to the indictment, Chen, 54, of Atherton, was the sole partner at the Law Offices of Jean D. Chen, which held itself out as specializing in immigration law. Ye, 51, also of Atherton, was formerly married to Chen and held himself out as the manager of Chen’s law office. The indictment alleges Chen and Ye prepared and submitted to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) fraudulent documents that contained false signatures and falsely described how applicants would qualify for the EB-5 program.

Under the EB-5 program, foreign nationals may obtain permanent United States residency, commonly known as “green card” status, by investing in qualifying American businesses. Alien investors who comply with program requirements initially receive a grant of conditional permanent residency status for a two-year period. After two years, the alien investor can petition for permanent residency. To obtain permanent residency status, the applicant’s investment must amount to $500,000 if made in certain geographical areas with low employment rates; if the investment is not in a designated low-employment area, the investment must amount to a minimum of $1,000,000. In addition, under the EB-5 program, applicants may make use of “regional centers.” Entrepreneurs seeking investments for American businesses may establish regional centers to promote investment opportunities and make such opportunities available to EB-5 applicants. The regional centers generally promote investment opportunities within designated geographic areas. The Law Offices of Jean D. Chen represented clients who invested a total of approximately $52,000,000 into projects under the EB-5 program.

In this case, the indictment describes steps taken by Chen and Ye to fraudulently obtain immigration benefits through the EB-5 program on behalf of their clients. First, the indictment alleges that Chen and Ye falsified documents to hide the true ownership and nature of a regional center. Specifically, the indictment alleges that in 2014, Chen and Ye purchased the Golden State Regional Center and other entities, and almost immediately after the purchase, transferred ownership to a straw owner. The person to whom the entity was transferred did not know she was being named as the owner. Also, Chen and Ye filed papers with USCIS, requesting that the government continue to recognize Golden State Regional Center as a regional center qualified to promote EB-5 investment within the South Bay. The papers contained false signatures of the purported straw owner. Second, defendants prepared and submitted falsified EB-5 applications. For example, visa applications contained false signatures of the purported straw owner, false statements about the extent to which the Law Offices of Jean D. Chen represented both the investor and Golden State Regional Center, and false statements about the manner in which investor funds would be used.

The indictment also charges defendants with obstruction of justice related to investigations being conducted by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the FBI. On October 18, 2018, the SEC filed a civil complaint against Chen, Ye, and other individuals and entities, alleging, among other things, that Chen and Ye improperly solicited investments and committed other violations of law. The indictment alleges that during the course of the SEC’s investigation, defendants made demands of the straw owner of Golden State Regional Center that she provide false answers to SEC investigators. Further, the defendants allegedly logged onto someone else’s email account and deleted emails relevant to the FBI’s investigation into the visa fraud.

In sum, Chen and Ye both are charged with ten counts of visa fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a); one count of obstruction of justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1505; one count of obstruction of justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(3); and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A. In addition, Ye is charged with one count of identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1018(a)(7).

[24-news-press-things]

Hungary to pull out of Russia-linked bank after US sanctions

Hungary is withdrawing its membership in a Russia-controlled investment bank a day after the United States issued sanctions against the Budapest-based financial institution.

The decision, announced on Thursday by Hungary’s Ministry of Economic Development, came in response to the U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday placing sanctions on the International Investment Bank, which relocated its headquarters to Hungary’s capital from Moscow in 2019.

In a statement, the ministry said that “although the International Investment Bank has played an important development role in Central and Eastern Europe, the U.S. sanctions have rendered the bank’s operations meaningless.”

“Therefore, the government recalls the Hungarian government’s delegates to the International Investment Bank and withdraws from the international financial institution,” the statement said.

Hungary’s stake in the bank, and the government’s willingness to host its headquarters in Budapest, had led to frustration from U.S. officials in both the Biden and Trump administrations, who argued it could serve as a conduit for Russian espionage within the European Union and NATO.

In announcing the U.S. sanctions on Wednesday, a Treasury Department statement said the bank enables Russia “to increase its intelligence presence in Europe, opens the door for the Kremlin’s malign influence activities in Central Europe and the Western Balkans, and could serve as a mechanism for corruption and illicit finance, including sanctions violations.”

At a news briefing in Budapest following the sanctions announcement, the U.S. ambassador to Hungary, David Pressman, said Hungary’s government had ignored pleas from multiple U.S. administrations to withdraw its stake in the bank.

“The presence of this opaque Kremlin platform in the heart of Hungary threatens the security and sovereignty of the Hungarian people, their European neighbors and their NATO allies,” Pressman said.

Three current or former executives of the bank — Russian citizens Nikolay Nikolayevich Kosov and Georgy Nugzarovich Potapov as well as Hungarian national Imre Laszloczki — were designated for sanctions as part of a broader package targeting the financial networks of two of Moscow’s wealthiest businessmen who are close allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

EU members Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania were formerly members of the bank, which was founded in the Soviet Union in 1970. But all four countries said they would withdraw their membership after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, leaving Hungary as the only remaining EU member.

The International Investment Bank did not immediately reply to a request for comment.