(KRON) — An Atherton lady who labored as an immigration lawyer primarily based in San Jose will make her first courtroom look on Friday to face visa fraud prices.
Danhong “Jean” Chen, also referred to as Maria Sofia Taylor, will seem earlier than U.S. Choose Susan van Keulen in federal district courtroom in San Jose. After fleeing the nation, Chen was lately extradited by authorities from the Kyrgyz Republic again to the US.
A grand jury indicted Chen’s ex-husband and enterprise companion, Jianyun “Tony” Ye, and Chen in 2019. In accordance with the indictment, the couple dedicated fraud and associated crimes to acquire immigration advantages for greater than 100 international traders by means of the federal government’s employment-based immigration fifth desire, or “EB-5,” visa program.
In 2021, Ye pleaded responsible to visa fraud and obstruction and was sentenced to 12 months in federal jail. He has since served that sentence and been launched from custody.
The U.S. Securities and Alternate Fee (SEC) filed a civil grievance in October 2018 towards Chen. Instantly after the SEC filed its civil enforcement grievance, Chen fled from the US and remained a fugitive till she was arrested within the Kyrgyz Republic on the request of the US, in keeping with prosecutors.
Chen, 60, was the only companion on the Legislation Workplaces of Jean D. Chen in San Jose, which specialised in immigration legislation. Chen ready and submitted to the US Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS) fraudulent paperwork that contained false signatures and falsely described how candidates would qualify for the EB-5 program, in keeping with the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace Northern District of California.
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Underneath the EB-5 program, international nationals might get hold of everlasting United States residency, generally often called “green card” standing, by investing in qualifying companies within the U.S. To acquire everlasting residency standing, the applicant’s funding should quantity to $500,000 if made in sure geographical areas with low employment charges; if the funding isn’t in a chosen low-employment space, the funding should quantity to a minimal of $1,000,000.
The Legislation Workplaces of Jean D. Chen, operated by Chen, represented shoppers who invested a complete of roughly $52,000,000 into tasks beneath the EB-5 program. “Chen fraudulently obtained immigration benefits through the EB-5 program on behalf of her clients by, among other actions, falsifying documents,” prosecutors wrote.
Chen is charged with 10 counts of visa fraud.
Assistant U.S. Legal professional Lloyd Farnham is prosecuting the case primarily based on an investigation by the FBI. The Justice Division’s Workplace of Worldwide Affairs labored with legislation enforcement companions within the Kyrgyz Republic to safe Chen’s arrest and extradition.
