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Woman found guilty of immigration fraud
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Posted on May 11 2012
By Ferdie de la Torre
Reporter
Reporter
A federal jury issued a guilty verdict yesterday against a Chinese woman accused of lying in her immigration application.
After deliberating for less than two hours, the 12 jurors reached a verdict finding Liwen Tang guilty of two counts of immigration document fraud.
Tang, seated beside her court-appointed counsel, Colin Thompson, was calm as a court staff read the verdict.
U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona scheduled Tang’s sentencing on Aug. 24, 2012.
Manglona allowed Tang to remain free on bail until her sentencing.
The jury selection was conducted on Tuesday afternoon. The trial itself began on Wednesday.
Assistant U.S. attorney Garth Backe on Wednesday called to the stand four witnesses: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services adjudicator Jesselee Santos-Krider, Homeland Security Investigations special agent Christopher Kobayashi, HSI special agent Michael D. Lansangan, and interpreter Monique Kramer.
After recalling the prosecution’s first witness, Santos-Krider, Backe rested the U.S. government’s case.
Thompson then moved for a judgment of acquittal but Manglona denied the motion.
The trial resumed yesterday afternoon with the judge providing jury instructions. Deliberations immediately followed.
According to the indictment, Tang lied in her application to register permanent residence or adjust status with USCIS. Tang claimed that she has only one child, a daughter born in 2006, when in fact she also gave birth to a son in April 2002.
