Posted on 07/13/2007 5:49:33 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
CORPUS CHRISTI — A couple who provided U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz with free trips to China was sentenced Friday in Houston for their role in a complex visa fraud scheme unrelated to the trips with Ortiz.
Kenneth and Ping Lee Cohen pleaded guilty in the case in 2006. They owned a company called Asia Access, which charged as much as $60,000 to Chinese immigrants attempting to obtain green cards. The company used fake documents from real companies in which Chinese nationals claimed they would be working as executives in American subsidiaries of Chinese companies, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Houston.
Asia Access Corporation paid for Ortiz and his former Chief of Staff Florencio Rendon to visit China four times between 2000 and 2005. Ortiz and Rendon are not implicated in the visa fraud scheme. The congressman has made other trips to China in an effort to help the ports of Corpus Christi and Brownsville in his district maintain trade with Asian ports.
Kenneth Cohen, a former Foreign Service Officer, received three years’ probation to a single count of conspiracy. Ping Lee Cohen testified for the government at trial and was sentenced to one year in prison. They also were ordered to forfeit $271,000. The couple are now divorced.
An immigration attorney central to the scheme, Yali Huang, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison. Huang’s assistant, Yongping Liu, was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Trace the money, and you’ll find corrupt corporations and Demrats.
HMMMMMMM...I wonder what letter belongs in parentheses behind Ortiz?? /s
S.T. Ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
Geez... you cant even trust lawyers these days!
More common than one thinks - I personally know someone who participated in such a scheme. Perhaps the company involved actually did exist.
What kind of “immigrant” do you think would pay $60,000 for a green card? Sheite!
You do understand as much as don't you?
If you’re going to commit fraud, you want to be sure you’ve bribed a Democratic with some power.
Sure do, this case has been going on for over a year. Down here, Coyotes charge $15-20,000 for “special” illegals.
I’ll try and let you know if they report catching any of these “immigrants”.
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