The 7 Habits of an Office
Relaxing at The Inn at Laguna Beach
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elmonteexaminer.com
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017 - DECEMBER 6, 2017 - VOLUME 21, NO. 48
El Monte Attorney Pleads Guilty in Massive EB-5 Scheme; Faces 45 Years in Federal Prison $50 Million Scheme Defrauded the EB-5 Visa Program and Chinese Investors An attorney who lives in El Monte pleaded guilty recently to federal fraud and money laundering charges for participating in a multifaceted scheme that collected more than $50 million from foreign investors seeking “Green Cards” through the EB-5 visa program. Victoria Chan [陳莹莹], who along with her father operated a San Gabriel-based business called California Investment Immigration Fund, LLC (CIIF), admitted that she exploited the EB-5 visa program, which provides lawful permanent residence – commonly known as a “Green Card” – to foreign nationals who invest at least $500,000 in a domestic business that creates 10 new American jobs. Chan admitted that much of the money collected by CIIF from the primarily Chinese investors either was stolen by the conspirators or was refunded to the foreign nationals. This undermined one of the basic principles of the EB-5 program because the money was not actually invested in the United States, nor did it lead to the creation
of 10 new American full-time jobs, as required under the program. Chan admitted submitting about 130 fraudulent EB5 visa applications to federal immigration authorities, and many of those applications falsely claimed that the foreign investments were being used to fund construction projects that were creating new jobs. As part of the wire fraud conspiracy, Chan admitted that she fraudulently used hundreds of thousands of dollars in EB-5 investor funds to purchase homes in her name, including residential properties each worth nearly $1 million in Diamond Bar and Rancho Cucamonga. “This fraud scheme subverted the federal immigration process, which resulted in dozens of foreign nationals obtaining green cards they were not entitled to receive,” said Acting United States Attorney Sandra R. Brown. “In addition to the millions of dollars they charged in fees, Chan and her father personally benefited by wrongfully See Page 4
Santa Claus to visit the San Bernardino Public Library Dec. 5 Santa Claus and one of his elves will be visiting the Feldheym Central Library on Tuesday, December 5 at 10:30 AM. Children can visit with Santa and receive a free book. Santa and Mrs. Claus will also be doing special story and song times at all four of the City Libraries. They will be at the Rowe Branch Library (108 E. Marshall Blvd.) on Thursday, December 14th at 10:30 AM; the Feldheym Central Library (555 W. 6th St.) on Thursday, December 14th at 4:00 PM; the Inghram Branch Library (1505 W. Highland Ave.) on
Friday, December 15th at 4:00 PM; and the Villasenor Branch Library (525 N. Mt. Vernon) on Monday, December 12th at 4:00 PM. All of these events are free and open to the public. Each child will be able to choose a free book. These events are sponsored by the Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library. For more information call the Central Library 909381-8235, visit our website at www.sbpl.org or https:// www.facebook.com/SBPLfriends/
- Courtesy photo
Long Beach Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone Program Now Accepting Applications Long Beach’s new Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone (UAIZ) Program is now accepting applications. Vacant lot owners in Long Beach could be eligible for a property tax reduction by committing their lot to urban agriculture for five years. Urban agriculture projects include many types of farming activities including community and educational gardens, as well as commercial farms with farm stands, which provide economic and educational opportunities to the community. "As a leading city for sustainability, this program is a testament to Long Beach's commitment to expanding access to green space," said Mayor Robert Garcia. "This program will activate vacant lots and provide new sources of healthy produce to the community.” To qualify for the program, vacant lots must: • Be between 0.10 to 3 acres in size. • Have no habitable structures; all on-site structures must be accessory to agricultural use. See Page 3
It’s Snowing In Riverside At Winter Wonderland The City of Riverside Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department in collaboration with the Arlington Business Partnership are hosting the annual Winter Wonderland event at a new location. The event will be held at Arlington Heights Sports Park (located at 9401 Cleveland Ave.) on Saturday, December 2 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and feature free activities, 50+ tons of snow for sledding, bounce houses, photos with Santa, crafts, entertainment, prizes, games, face painting, food vendors all in a magical winter wonderland!
Wristbands can be purchased for the youth fun-zone activities and 20 minutes of snow sledding. Fun-zone wristbands are available for purchase online or at any community center. Wristbands purchased before December 1 at 4 p.m. are available at a cost of $13 per person, and $15 the day of the event. Wristbands purchased online will be available at the pre-registration/ will-call booth the day of the event. For additional details or to purchase wristbands, please visit RivReg.org.