Honglian Cheng was arrested by U.S. ICE agents after she arrived at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport on May 30, 2011. She left Saipan on March 20, 2011, according to court documents.
Honglian Cheng, who was assisted by a Mandarin translator, was brought before visiting federal Judge John C. Coughenour for her initial appearance on Friday afternoon.
After examining the defendant as to her understanding of her constitutional rights, her right to trial, and her understanding of the proceedings, the court found Honglian Cheng to be indigent and ordered that a defense lawyer be appointed for her.
Honglian Cheng is being held on two counts of unlawful employment of aliens, according to court documents.
On or about March 18, 2011, Honglian Cheng escorted Guoquan Liu and Qiang Zhou from China to the CNMI in order for them to unlawfully work in the commonwealth while paroled in as tourists, the complaint stated.
U.S. Homeland Security Investigations special agent Isra D. Harahap said Chinese visitors who are paroled under the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver may not engage in local employment or labor for hire.
Honglian Cheng, Guoquan Liu and Qiang Zhou were paroled as tourists until March 31, 2011, Harahap said.
Harahap received information on March 24, 2011 from DPS Tinian that Guoquan Liu and Qiang Zhou had complaints about their situation and were planning to fly to Saipan en route to China.
Follow-up interviews revealed that Guoquan Liu and Qiang Zhou each paid their recruiters over 60,000 Chinese yuan, or around $9,000.
The victims, who were recruited in China starting in Feb. 2011, were told of a monthly salary of 7,500 Chinese yuan, or around $1,100, as farmers.
On March 18, 2011, Cheng escorted the victims from China to Saipan, and told the victims to inform U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers that they were tourists, and would be staying on Saipan for only four days.
Guoquan Liu and Qiang Zhou were allowed to enter Saipan as tourists, and each purchased $60 air ticket for Tinian.
On Tinian, the victims met Heqian Ma who was introduced by Cheng as the one who would take care of the victims. They stayed at Ma’s house for five days.
Ma has been arrested by the U.S. ICE, and indicted for alien smuggling and fraud in foreign labor contracting of a couple who was supposed to work in a massage parlor on Saipan.
Guoquan Liu and Qiang Zhou were told they would be earning $800 a month, including room and board on a Tinian farm.
On March 24, 2011, Guoquan Liu told Heqian Ma that he was not going to work for her, and wanted to go back to China. They had an argument at Ma’s house, where the police responded to a call.
Guoquan Liu and Qiang Zhou were paroled until March 31, 2011, and they had round-trip tickets. They were supposed to depart on March 24, 2011.
