Singaporean man admits
smuggling Chinese alien
A 42-year-old Singaporean man has admitted he tried to smuggle a Chinese woman into the United States by passing her off as his wife.
Eng Soon Ng pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to one count each of passport fraud, encouraging unlawful entry of an alien and alien smuggling.
"I brought girl, Ms. Weng, into United States," he told U.S. Magistrate Judge Leslie Kobayashi. "I have helped her illegally come in."
Ng entered into a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office after he waived indictment by a federal grand jury.
According to assistant federal public defender Alexander Silvert, Ng faces 10 to 18 years in prison under the plea agreement. The most serious charge of passport fraud calls for a maximum prison term of 10 years.
Ng arrived at Honolulu Airport on a flight from Tokyo on June 16 with Li Geng Weng, who posed as his wife, and with his 2-year-old son, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Hino. Immigration officials became suspicious when the woman presented a passport that appeared to be altered.
Ricky Murata, a senior immigration inspector with the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said officials were also suspicious because Weng could not speak English like a majority of Singaporean citizens. Murata said other incidents involving smuggling Chinese citizens at other airports have used escorts who are fluent in both Chinese and English, like most Singaporean citizens.
After questioning, 31-year-old Weng admitted she was not the person on the passport and that her family had paid for someone to take her to the United States.
When questioned, Ng admitted that a person known as "Ricky" paid for him and his 2-year-old son to bring the woman to the United States, Murata said. He also admitted he flew to the United States previously with another person to learn how to bring women into the country.
Ng will remain in custody until his April 19 sentencing. His son was returned to his mother a week after Ng's arrest, and Weng plans to file for asylum, Silvert said.