In Los Angeles, opened a scam with visas and green cards for $ 50 million

Фото: Depositphotos

The federal authorities conducted a series of raids in San Gabriel, California, suspecting the fraudulent use of the US visa program to get green cards by wealthy Chinese investors.

Claimants state in a federal court that the California Immigration Investment Fund took money from more than a hundred Chinese investors, helping many of them obtain a US resident card through the EB-5 visa program.

The EB-5 program has been around since 1990's, but its popularity soared in 2009. During the financial crisis, many US developers did not have the cash, and the EB-5 program helps to meet this need by attracting foreign investment.

Under the EB-5 program, foreigners who invest at least half a million dollars in a project approved by the federal government are eligible for permanent residence in the United States. Each investor must create at least 10 jobs. The program was designed to stimulate job creation in rural areas and in areas where unemployment was 150% of the average.

FBI Special Agent Gary Chen claims that the necessary projects were not implemented by foreigners.

“As a result of the fraudulent scheme, many foreign nationals may have incorrectly obtained U.S. green cards through the EB-5 visa program because these foreigners were not actually investing in U.S. companies or creating new jobs in America,” Chen said.

He also noted that three of the investors who received the green cards were wanted in China.

Some of the proceeds were returned to investors, while some were used to pay for houses for Victoria Chan, a lawyer, and her father Tat Chan, who ran the fund, reports AP.

All documentation and equipment seized during the raids was sent for investigation. Investigators are still investigating how many Chinese investors have been implicated or have become victims of the alleged fraud. In addition, investigators find out how much money the fraudsters actually made, and what happened to them.

According to the press secretary of the FBI, the agents did not bring any charges in this case and did not make arrests.

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