The United States Courthouse in Gualo Rai, Saipan.
AFTER being sentenced by the federal court to 30 days of imprisonment for conspiracy and aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens, Hongjiang Yang filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
At the sentencing hearing on March 14, 2025, District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona also placed Yang on one year of supervised release, ordered him to perform 50 hours of community service, and required him to pay a $100 special assessment fee.
Yang, 68, was represented by attorney Cong Nie, who said that they are appealing the judgment, “along with all interlocutory orders and rulings prior to, during, and after trial which merged into said judgment.”
Yang was released under terms and conditions pending his appeal.
Last year, a federal jury found Yang and co-defendant Meifang Weng guilty of conspiracy and aiding and abetting transportation of illegal aliens. A third defendant, Yang’s wife, Xiulan Huang, was found not guilty by the jury.
Neither did the jury find Yang and Weng guilty of the charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Following their conviction, Yang and Weng, through their respective attorneys, renewed their motion for judgment of acquittal, arguing that “neither of them had an agreement with anyone to transport illegal aliens.”
Judge Manglona denied Yang’s renewed motion for judgment of acquittal while granting Weng’s motion.
The judge said, “The evidence was insufficient to support that Weng had an agreement with another individual to transport an alien other than herself.”
The judge also found that “Yang did not simply purchase or pool his money with others to secure his own passage to Guam. Rather, Yang attended meetings with the intent to gain transport for both him and his wife to Guam….”
‘Highest priority’
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Guam and the NMI, “Attorney General [Pam] Bondi has made immigration enforcement the highest priority of the Department [of Justice]. We will fulfill our mission through federal, territorial, and commonwealth partnerships to deter unlawful migration and promote safety at sea. Anyone with information regarding this type of criminal activity should contact Homeland Security Investigations.”
“The sentencing of Mr. Yang and the co-conspirators highlights ICE-HSI’s commitment to stopping smuggling efforts and preventing the evasion of federal immigration law,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas.
ICE stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Stopping these crimes not only protects our communities but also targets the inherent dangers present with human smuggling. ICE-HSI protects our borders through enforcing our immigration authority,” Cabral-DeArmas added.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric S. O’Malley.
Sentenced, too
The following co-conspirators have pled guilty and were sentenced for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens, in violation of 8 U.S.C. §1324(a)(I)(A)(ii) and (v)(I):
–Xiaohua Li, 58, was sentenced on Feb. 22, 2024 to one-year probation, 50 hours of community service, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee.
–Kun Gao, 44, was sentenced on March 15, 2024 to 30 days in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee.
–Yongbing Tang, 55, was sentenced on July 2, 2024 to 30 days in prison, one year of supervised release, 50 hours of community service, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee.
–Changcai Dong, 61, was sentenced on July 2, 2024 to 30 days in prison, one year of supervised release, 50 hours of community service, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee.
–Yingchun Wu, 45, was sentenced on May 24, 2024 to 30 days’ imprisonment, one year of supervised release, 50 hours of community service, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee.
–Yan Juan Hu Taitano, 61, was sentenced on Sept. 9, 2024 to 15 months’ imprisonment, one year of supervised release, 80 hours of community service, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee.
–Lee Jesse Omar Reyes, 37, was sentenced on Sept. 9, 2024 to time served, two years of supervised release, 80 hours of community service, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee.
–Ramon Jose Quitano Sablan, 32, was sentenced on Sept. 9, 2024 to time served, two years of supervised release, 80 hours of community service, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee.
–Maverick Ryan Iguel Marlik, 31, was sentenced on Sept. 9, 2024, to time served, one year of supervised release, 80 hours of community service, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee.
