Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News

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The Department of Justice has unsealed files related to a case that seems like the plot of a movie, one involving allegations that a pair of New York residents convinced international victims that green cards and access to prominent American politicians were available, if the price was right.

According to a release from the Justice Department, Sherry Xue Li and Lianbo Wang, each a naturalized U.S. citizen, are accused of having impeded the Federal Election Commission’s enforcement of election law by engaging in wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Specifically, the federal government alleges that Li and Wang, who lived in Oyster Bay, New York, convinced foreign citizens that the pair had concocted a plan to gain green cards and other investment opportunities for the victims, a scheme Li and Wang are alleged to have made to seem more legitimate by introducing victims to prominent American politicians with whom the pair pretended to have a close relationship.

However, prosecutors say no such relationship existed. Whatever access Li and Wang had with any politician was limited. Effectively, the pair made large enough donations to politicians that Li and Wang were invited to campaign events and allowed to take pictures with officials. According to the DOJ, the pair used these encounters to legitimize their claims.

“As alleged, the defendants enticed their victims to invest in a fraudulent scheme aided by misleadingly claiming that their fictitious project had the support of prominent politicians,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said.  “The defendants were able to perpetrate this fraud by then selling access to U.S. politicians by unlawfully contributing foreign money to political campaigns in their own names and bringing foreign nationals as their guests to fundraising events.  This Office is committed to protecting our democratic process from those who would expose it to unlawful foreign influence, and investors from the predatory fraudsters who would steal their money.”

As the money the pair channeled into campaign coffers was of a foreign origin, the two also stand accused on contaminating U.S. electoral processes by, the DOJ alleges, behaving as “straw donors” who contributed money to campaigns on behalf of a foreign interest.

“We allege Li and Wang promised investors green cards, access to political figures, and dividends on their money,” Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, said. “Tens of millions of dollars came in from investors and straw donors, who expected their money would bear fruit. However, only one promise came to fruition, the access to political power. Foreign money pollutes our immigration and democratic processes, and we must do all we can to protect them.”

Prosecutors further allege the pair also fed their victims bogus real estate investments and used all of their financial gains to live the life of luxury.

According to the DOJ release, the pair racked up north of $27 million from about 150 donors. By way of example, Li and Wang are alleged to have collected $93,000 apiece from a group of 12 foreign citizens. The pair is accused of having used $600,000 of their total haul to be named to a committee that was planning a rally for then-President Donald Trump. While at the event, Li and Wang took pictures with Trump that they in turn used as proof of their political connections.