Chinese National, Ties To LI, Political Scheme Guilty Plea: US Atty.

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — A citizen of China, with a home in Old Westbury and on Forbes Magazine List of Billionaires, pleaded guilty Monday to making political contributions in the name of others, immigration fraud and producing a false identification document, prosecutors announced.

Hui Qin, also known as "Qin Hui," "HuiQuin," "Muk Lam Li" and "Karl," agreed to give up his status as Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) of the U.S.

When sentenced, Qin faces up to 27 years in prison.

"Qin pleaded guilty today to engaging in a brazen web of deception, spreading lies to federal election and immigration authorities and a state agency," United States Attorney Breon Peace said.

According to court filings, between December 2021 and December 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 United States 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, the U.S. Attorney's office.

Additionally, as part of his plea Qin admitted that, in April 2019, he filed a false application for LPR status with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. In the application, Qin falsely swore, under penalty of perjury, that he had never used another name, Breon said.

In fact, in 2008, a PRC 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 identification card, a PRC identification 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.

Qin also pleaded guilty to engaging in interstate travel to fraudulently obtain a Florida Driver’s License. In December 2020, Qin traveled from New York to Florida and applied for a Driver’s License at Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

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 never lived, prosecutors said.

Qin has been incarcerated since his arrest on October 2.