PHILADELPHIA — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers removed a fugitive citizen of China Wednesday who was wanted by Chinese authorities for occupational embezzlement.
Quanguan Zheng, 61, a Chinese citizen, entered the United States lawfully, on May 24, 2015, at the Newark International Airport. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) admitted Zheng to the United States as a nonimmigrant visitor for pleasure (B-2) until Nov. 23, 2015.
On Nov. 8, 2016, the Zhongfang Public Security Bureau issued an arrest warrant for Zheng charging him with occupational embezzlement.
Chinese authorities allege, that from 2009 to 2015, Zheng took advantage of his position as general manager of Huaihua City Fuda Real Estate Co. Ltd, by selling company properties to his wife and son at below market value. Zheng also contracted company projects to his stepsons, exaggerated the completed work and stole company funds by withdrawing more funds than were needed to pay for company construction projects. Misappropriated funds exceeded $6 million U.S. dollars.
On Oct. 2, 2017, ERO Philadelphia officers received and confirmed information that Zheng was wanted in China for embezzlement and that he was possibly residing in the Philadelphia area.
On Nov. 15, 2017, ERO Philadelphia officers arrested Zheng outside his residence in Philadelphia. ERO Philadelphia issued Zheng a Notice to Appear, charging removability pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act, as an alien who remained in the United States for a time longer than permitted, and he was entered into removal proceedings.
On Jan. 5, 2018, an immigration judge denied Zheng’s application for deferral of removal and ordered him removed to China. That same month, Zheng filed an appeal with the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), and the BIA dismissed his appeal Aug. 2, 2018.
On Aug. 7, 2018, Zheng filed a petition for review (PFR) and a motion for a stay of removal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3CCA). On the same date, 3CCA issued a temporary stay until 3CCA could fully review the motion for a stay.
On Oct. 15, 2018, 3CCA denied the motion for a stay and vacated the temporary stay of removal.
On Oct. 24, 2018, Zheng filed a motion to reopen (MTR) and motion for stay of removal with BIA. On Nov. 8, 2018, the BIA denied Zheng’s motion for a stay.
ERO officers removed Zheng from the United States and turned him over to Chinese authorities without incident.
Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 1,700 foreign fugitives from the United States who were sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. In fiscal year 2017, ICE conducted 226,119 removals nationwide. Eighty-three percent of individuals removed from the interior of the United States had previously been convicted of a criminal offense.
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