Los Angeles-area attorney pleads guilty to federal charges stemming from $50 million scheme that defrauded the EB-5 visa program and Chinese investors

SANTA ANA, Calif. – An attorney who lives in El Monte pleaded guilty today to federal fraud and money laundering charges for participating in a multi-faceted scheme that collected more than $50 million from foreign investors seeking “Green Cards” through the EB-5 visa program.

Victoria Chan, who along with her father operated a San Gabriel-based business called California Investment Immigration Fund, LLC (CIIF), admitted that she exploited the EB-5 visa program, which provides lawful permanent residence – commonly known as a “Green Card” – to foreign nationals who invest at least $500,000 in a domestic business that creates 10 new American jobs.

The ongoing investigation into the EB-5 fraud scheme is being conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also provided valuable assistance in the investigation and prosecution of the case.

More