NY Residents With Ties to China Arrested Over Alleged $27 Million Green Card, Political Access Scheme

The seal of the United States Department of Justice is seen on the building exterior of the United States Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, N.Y., on Aug. 17, 2020. Andrew Kelly/Reuters

Two New York residents have been arrested for allegedly defrauding investors of $27 million, in part by promising them access to prominent politicians such as former President Donald Trump, the Justice Department announced on July 18.

The two individuals, Sherry Xue Li and Lianbo “Mike” Wang, perpetuated a near-decade-long scheme from as early as May 2013 to lure investors into a fictitious project to develop a private educational institution where Li served as the president, according to a complaint unsealed on July 18.