Man sentenced for helping pregnant Chinese women travel to give birth in US

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California man was sentenced Monday to nearly 3 1/2 years in prison for running an extensive business that helped pregnant Chinese women travel to the United States to deliver babies who would automatically have American citizenship.

US authorities had sought a more than five-year prison term for Michael Wei Yueh Liu, 59, who was convicted in September of conspiracy and money laundering for running a company known as USA Happy Baby. Phoebe Dong, Liu's wife — though the couple have since separated — was also convicted in connection with the scheme and is expected to be sentenced early next year.

After receiving a 41-month sentence, Liu was led out of the courtroom by authorities and taken into custody. He gave his attorney his belt and a folder and held Dong's hand briefly while she sobbed.

In court, Liu had pleaded for leniency to care for his elderly parents and 13-year-old son, all of whom depend on him, while about a dozen supporters, many from his church, attended to provide moral support. Liu said his family has suffered deeply for nearly a decade since a 2015 raid on his business.

“My intent was always to uphold the values of integrity and responsibility, so I regret any actions or decisions that may have brought us to this moment of judgment,” Liu told the court during his sentencing hearing.

“I have tried my best to remain a source of stability for my family, but my incarceration will place them in a more vulnerable position.”

“I am not here to deflect responsibility, but to seek mercy,” he said.

US District Judge R. Gary Klausner said defendants' family members are often the ones who suffer, but it is the defendant's actions, not the court's, that caused the harm. Nevertheless, Klausner said he was reducing the sentence due to Liu's family situation.

“These are choices you make, not that the court makes,” Klausner said.

US authorities said USA Happy Baby helped several hundred women travel from China to give birth to US-citizen babies between 2012 and 2015.

The tourists paid as much as $40,000 for services including apartment rentals during their stays in Southern California and worked with overseas entities that coached women on what to say during visa interviews and upon arriving in US airports, advising them to wear loose clothing to hide their pregnancies.

“For tens of thousands of dollars each, defendant helped his numerous customers deceive US authorities and buy US citizenship for their children,” federal prosecutors wrote in court papers. “This criminal conduct is serious and requires a meaningful sentence to promote respect for the law and hold defendant accountable.”

Prosecutors declined to comment immediately after the sentencing.

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