A Chinese national is facing a criminal charge in Honolulu for allegedly failing to disclose his ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its military in his visa application.
Lin Fanlin, born in Beijing in 1975, made his initial court appearance on July 7. He is scheduled to appear before Chief Magistrate Judge Kenneth J. Mansfield for a detention hearing in Honolulu on July 10, when the judge is expected to consider prosecutors’ July 6 motion to detain him without bail.
According to a complaint filed on July 2, Lin was arrested at Honolulu International Airport on July 1 while attempting to enter the United States and was subsequently charged with one count of fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents.
Lin was issued a 10-year B-1/B-2 visa on June 27, 2017, according to an affidavit by a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations.
In his 2017 online nonimmigrant visa application, Lin listed his occupation as general manager of Beijing Moze International Cultural Development Co., according to the affidavit. He also said he had previously served as a deputy director of the Chinese Foreign Language Bureau Education Training Center and had studied physical education at Beijing Sports University.
Lin answered “No” to three questions on the application about whether he had “belonged to, contributed to, or worked for any professional, social, or charitable organization,” possessed specialized skills or training, including in firearms, explosives, nuclear, biological, or chemical fields, or had “ever served in the military.”
During his visa interview, Lin “described his purpose of travel as a cultural visit to Hawaii,” according to the affidavit.
On July 1, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials questioned Lin upon his arrival at the airport after discovering an “exact match” in its screening system.
Lin admitted to CBP officials that he had also attended a military institute of the CCP’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which is the official name of the Chinese military.
“When asked why he did not declare his education at a PLA Institute on his U.S. visa application, Lin stated that the school had closed down and that he worried it might reflect poorly on his visa application,” the affidavit reads.
CBP officials then searched Lin’s cellphone and found a photo of his “PLA discharge certificate,” which showed that he joined the military in 1994, left the service in 2011 as a lieutenant colonel, and was last assigned to the PLA’s Chemical Defense Command Engineering College.
Lin also admitted that he had been employed by the Chinese military and had “basic firearms training as a part of his military service,” according to the affidavit.
“Lin further admitted to CBP that he is a current member of the Chinese Communist Party and that he has a leadership role in his local branch,” the affidavit reads.
Lin’s lawyer declined to comment when contacted by The Epoch Times, saying he was waiting to review discovery in the case.
In recent years, there have been other visa fraud cases involving undercover Chinese military officers.
According to the federal complaint, Ye was an exchange student at Boston University from October 2017 to April 2019, during which she completed “numerous assignments” for the Chinese military, including sending U.S. documents to China.
Ye is now on the FBI’s Most Wanted List.
