Ex-wife of fugitive Chinese official held in US on immigration fraud and money laundering claims

PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 18 March, 2015, 10:49am
UPDATED : Wednesday, 18 March, 2015, 10:49am
Associated Press in Los Angeles
17 Feb 2015





United States police detained Zhao Shilan, ex-wife of fugitive former Chinese official Qiao Jianjun on suspicion of immigration fraud and money laundering. Photo: Reuters


The ex-wife of a fugitive former Chinese official has been arrested in the United States on allegations of immigration fraud and money laundering.

Her former husband, Qiao Jianjun, has not been caught.
Zhao Shilan, from Washington state, was arrested yesterday and ordered to be held without bail.

Her lawyer, Kirk Davis, said he could not comment, but looked forward to “challenges as they come”.

Federal prosecutors contend that Zhao and Qiao falsely claimed to be married and lied about their source of money to obtain US visas through an immigrant investor programme.

Their documents were processed in California.

An indictment unsealed yesterday in Los Angeles charges them with conspiracy and other crimes.

It claims the divorced couple bought a home in Newcastle, a suburb of Seattle, using US$500,000 from fraudulent transactions at a grain storehouse in Zhoukou City, in China's Henan province, where Qiao was a director.

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/artic...raud-and-money