![](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="48" height="48"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
national Hui Qin (覃辉), aka “Qin Hui,” “Hui Quin,” “Muk Lam Li” and “Karl”, who was listed on Forbes Magazine’s List of Billionaires and who operated Hong Kong-based entertainment entity SMI Culture (星美文化), pleaded guilty to an information charging him with making political contributions in the names of others, immigration fraud and producing a false identification document. As part of his plea agreement, Qin agreed to abandon his status as a Lawful Permanent Resident (“LPR”) of the US and to be removed to a country outside of the US. When sentenced, Qin faces up to 27 years’ imprisonment. Qin has been incarcerated since his arrest on Oct 2, 2023.
Between Dec 2021 and Dec 2022, Qin agreed to reimburse other individuals who made contributions on his behalf to the campaign committees for a candidate for a New York City-wide political office, a member of the US House of Representatives for a congressional district in the Eastern District of New York and candidate for a House of Representatives seat in a Rhode Island congressional district. During the scheme, without the knowledge of these campaign committees, straw donors made approximately $11,600 in contributions on Qin’s behalf, which caused the campaign committees to unwittingly file false contribution reports with the Federal Election Commission in 2022.
Additionally, as part of his plea Qin admitted that, in April 2019, he filed a false application for LPR status with US Citizenship and Immigration Services. In the application, Qin falsely swore, under penalty of perjury, that he had never used another name. In fact, in 2008, a government official provided Qin with the alias “Muk Lam Li” and between 2008 and the filing of Qin’s LPR application, Qin obtained identification documents, including a Hong Kong id card, a id card and a Hong Kong passport in the name of the Li alias, which contained Qin’s photograph, but a date of birth different than Qin’s. Around Sep 2017, Qin used the Li alias to transfer more than $5M from China to a US bank account, a portion of which was used to purchase a luxury Manhattan apartment where Qin resided.
Qin also pleaded guilty to engaging in interstate travel to fraudulently obtain a Florida Driver’s License. In Dec 2020, Qin travelled from New York to Florida and applied for a Driver’s License at Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (“FLHSMV”). At the time of his travel, Qin was a resident of Old Westbury, Long Island and Manhattan, but he signed an application stating that it was “true and correct” that he resided at an address in Miami, where he had never lived. To bolster this false assertion, Qin presented FLHSMV officials with fake bank and credit card statements bearing the name “Hui Quin” and the false Miami address. After FLHSMV issued Qin a Florida Driver’s License, he presented it to banks and a motor vehicle insurer as identification.
justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/b![画像](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="680" height="462"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
2