Another alleged overstayer arrested

U.S. Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested Tuesday an alleged overstaying Chinese tourist who reportedly obtained a driver’s license using fraudulent papers.

HSI filed a complaint against Ercang Yang on Wednesday for allegedly presenting law enforcers with a fraudulently obtained identification document.

HSI special agent Erwin T. Fejeran stated in an affidavit in support of the complaint that Federal Protective Services inspector Sean White was performing security patrol of federal government facilities Tuesday when he saw a Toyota Camry park along Chalan Pale Arnold Road adjacent to the Mariana Heights II building. White approached the car and asked the car’s driver for his identification. The driver, identified as Yang, presented a CNMI driver’s license. White requested HSI to conduct a system check for warrants for Yang and, based on HSI findings, it was learned that Yang has no warrants but appeared to be illegally present in the U.S.

Fejeran said that Yang’s identity and lack of immigration status were confirmed at the HSI office. Further examination showed that Yang’s CNMI’s driver’s license was obtained using a fraudulent immigration document.

Fejeran said DHS records confirmed that Yang entered the CNMI on Dec. 28, 2015, and was granted CNMI-only conditional parole by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that was effective only until Jan. 14, 2016.

Fejeran said Yang overstayed his authorized parole date and is subject to deportation.

According to the DHS systems, the agent said, the receipt number listed on Yang’s immigration form I-797A was valid but registered to another individual and not assigned to Yang.

Records checks conducted on Yang’s name and date of birth revealed no immigration petitions for him.

Based on these results, Fejeran said, it was determined that the I-797 was fraudulent.

During White’s interview with the help of an interpreter, Yang stated that that prior to coming to Saipan, he was told that he could travel to Saipan as a tourist and get a work permit after he arrived.

Yang allegedly contacted an individual via “WeChat” who convinced him to pay 20,000 RMB (Chinese currency) to obtain a job on Saipan.

Using WeChat, while in China, Yang remitted the 20,000 RMB payment.

After Yang arrived on Saipan, he attempted to contact the individual to secure the promised employment but was never able to contact the person.

Yang admitted to traveling to Rota in 2017, where he obtained his first driver’s license.

Yang initially told agents that he used a translating application on his phone to fill out the Saipan driver’s license application and submitted a copy of his Rota driver’s license to obtain the Saipan driver’s license in his possession.

Yang stated that a friend assisted him in obtaining the driver’s license.

Yang further admitted to lying about filling out the documents and admitted that he never saw the application or the immigration document before.

Yang stated that he did not take a written or driving test to obtain the driver’s license.

Yang admitted that he lied about it by putting Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC as his employer in the driver’s license application. He said he is not an employee of IPI.

Through White, HSI agents lately arrested several overstaying Chinese tourists who were driving illegal taxis using driver’s license obtained through fraudulent documents.