FOLLOWING the unsealing of their cases recently, eight more individuals have been charged in federal court for illegally entering Guam by boat.
The grand jury has indicted a total of 16 Chinese nationals who are believed to have no valid U.S. visas.
Criminal cases 22-00014 and 22-00015 had been sealed by the court as requested by the U.S. attorney for Guam and the NMI. But both cases are now unsealed.
In Criminal Case 22-00014, Fu Li, Xiang Li, Shuyuan Wang, Haiyan Lu, Guosheng Zeng, Xunan Shangguan, Ying Liu, and Xiuying Wu were each charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.
In Criminal Case 22-00015, Xiaojuan Sun, Suling Jin, Shougao Liu, Wenliang Ma, Liangxian Zhang, Weifu Zhang, Xiaohui Zhu, and Bingxing Gao were each charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.
According to the indictment, on or about July 29, 2022, “defendants pooled money together to purchase a boat for $32,000 on the island of Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The boat, which is approximately 26 feet in length with a white fiberglass hull and motorized propeller, with CNMI boat registration number CM 0057 CP, was used by the eight defendants, and one additional Chinese citizen who did not have lawful immigration status, to complete transportation from the CNMI to Guam on or about July 31, 2022. A boat was used for transportation because the Chinese citizens wanted to avoid immigration processes that were anticipated if travel was completed by commercial airplane. Authorities located the boat in the Hagåtña Boat Basin in Guam after it came ashore to Guam from the CNMI with all nine Chinese citizens on July 31, 2022.”
The U.S. government wants the defendants, if convicted, “to forfeit any conveyance used to carry out the offense they are being charged for, including any vessel, vehicle, or aircraft used in the commission of the offense of which the defendants are convicted; and any property real or personal — that constitutes, or is derived from or is traceable to proceeds obtained directly or indirectly from the commission of the offense of which the defendants are convicted; or that is used to facilitate, or is intended to be used to facilitate, the commission of the offense of which the defendants are convicted.”
Both indictments mentioned a ninth Chinese national, but he was neither charged nor identified.
According to Criminal Case 22-00014, Guosheng Zeng was arrested on Oct. 18 while Fu Li and Haiyan Lu were arrested on Oct. 19.
Criminal Case 22-00015 states that Xiaojuan Sun, Liangxian Zhang, Suling Jing, and Weifu Zhang were arrested on Oct. 18, while Bingxing Gao was arrested on Oct. 19.
The defendants in both cases were arrested by authorities on Guam where a writ of removal was granted and issued by the District Court of Guam for their transfer to the NMI in the custody of U.S. Marshals.
Defendants Haiyan Lu and Guosheng Zeng, with an interpreter, appeared before District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona at an arraignment on Nov. 3.
Zeng, through court-appointed attorney Robert T. Torres, pled not guilty to the charges
Lu, through court-appointed attorney Bruce Berline, requested for a continuance.
Judge Manglona scheduled Zeng’s jury trial for Jan. 10. As for Lu, the judge continued the arraignment hearing today, Monday, Nov. 7, at 1:30 p.m.
As for Fu Li, no information was available as of press time Sunday.
Xiaojuan Sun, represented by attorney David Banes; Suling Jin, represented by attorney Vince Seman; Weifu Zhang, represented by attorney Colin Thompson; and Bingxing Gao, represented by attorney Janet King, pled not guilty to the charge.
Judge Manglona likewise scheduled their trial for Jan. 10.
There was no information regarding Liangxian Zhang or the other defendants as of press time Sunday.
