Immigration lawyer gets fine, prison for visa scheme

[peejay 327]

Immigration lawyer gets fine, prison for visa scheme

Co-conspirators also sentenced in a money-making scam that involved fake green cards

By SUSAN CARROLL

2007 Houston Chronicle

A federal judge on Friday sentenced a Houston immigration attorney to more than four years in prison for her role in an elaborate Chinese visa fraud scheme.

Yali Huang, 44, cried as she appealed to U.S. District Judge David Hittner moments before the sentencing. She was convicted of conspiracy and visa fraud in February after a 2½-week jury trial that detailed a scheme to file false documents in support of temporary business visa and employment-based green card applications.

"Nineteen years ago I came to this country to pursue the American Dream," she said, standing before the judge in a green prison jumpsuit. "I never imagined my American Dream would end like this."

Anatomy of a crime

During the February trial, prosecutors said the fraud ring operated from 2000 to 2005. The trial coincided with an national increase in prosecution of immigration fraud, which is considered widespread but difficult to quantify, according to a May report by the Congressional Research Service, a public policy research arm of Congress.

Huang was accused of committing fraud using two separate immigration programs. She forged documents for clients applying for extensions for temporary business visas, writing letters purportedly from Chinese companies, and in some cases, using a dummy corporation called Ultra Controls set up with her husband, prosecutors said. She also was accused of participating in a green card fraud scheme that involved creating fake stock certificates and forging signatures.

The star witness

Prosecutor Gregg Costa said it must have been difficult for Huang to come to the U.S. as an immigrant, learn English, graduate from law school and pass the bar exam.

"She was realizing the American Dream, and this is a sad case," Costa said.

The prosecutor said the fraud was not an isolated incident, but a pattern that showed a lack of concern for the truth.

Hittner sentenced Huang to 51 months and ordered her to pay a $10,000 fine, calling the facts in the case egregious.

Huang's co-conspirators in the green card scheme were also sentenced on Friday. Houston residents Ping Lee Cohen and her ex-husband Kenneth Cohen ran a company called Asia Access and charged up to $60,000 per client, according to prosecutors.

Ping Lee Cohen was the prosecution's star witness against Huang. The 55-year-old admitted to prosecutors that she received tens of thousands of dollars for filing fraudulent green card applications.

She was sentenced to about a year in prison. Her ex-husband, Kenneth Cohen, 65, also was sentenced Friday to three years' probation. Hittner finalized a forfeiture judgment against the Cohens worth $271,000, identified as proceeds from the fraudulent applications, prosecutors said.

Huang's assistant, Yongping Mary Liu, 49, also was convicted of one count of visa fraud and acquitted on four other counts at the February trial. She was sentenced on Friday to 18 months in prison.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4967470.html

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

"Nineteen years ago I came to this country to pursue the American Dream," she said, standing before the judge in a green prison jumpsuit. "I never imagined my American Dream would end like this."

Never knew that the American Dream was living a life of deceit.

[Ban Hammer 14,295]

"Nineteen years ago I came to this country to pursue the American Dream," she said, standing before the judge in a green prison jumpsuit. "I never imagined my American Dream would end like this."

Never knew that the American Dream was living a life of deceit.

that's the part that stuck out to me too. living the american dream means getting rich from criminal activity?

[peejay 327]

I find it laughable that many politicians would have us believe that this sort of shenanigans wouldn't be happening if we would just open up the floodgates and let anyone and everyone that wants to immigrate to be able to do so at will. And that these folks are forced to do this because of our immigration policy is so restrictive. (Which is a lie.)

That's about as lame as saying that there wouldn't be so many bank robberies if only the banks would allow people to take whatever money they want.

Yes...the American Dream...it gives people all the excuse they need to break whatever laws they don't feel like obeying or aren't convenient for them. I hope we see even more prosecutions and deportations to show them otherwise.