{"id":14651,"date":"2015-08-14T12:41:07","date_gmt":"2015-08-14T19:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=14651"},"modified":"2015-08-14T12:41:07","modified_gmt":"2015-08-14T19:41:07","slug":"u-s-consulate-worker-sentenced-to-five-years-for-receiving-3-million-in-bribes-in-exchange-for-visas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=14651","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Consulate Worker Sentenced to Five Years for Receiving $3 Million in Bribes in Exchange for Visas"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON D.C.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

\"Federal<\/a>A federal judge sentenced former U.S. Foreign Service Officer, Michael T. Sestak<\/strong>, 44, to five years and four months in prison for concocting where he accepted more than $3 million in bribes to process U.S. visas for non-immigrants, officials said.<\/p>\n

Sestak pleaded guilty on Nov. 6, 2013 to one count each of conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud and to defraud the United States, bribery of a public official, and conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from illegal activity.<\/p>\n

Under the plea agreement, Sestak agreed to cooperate with the government\u2019s investigation and the prosecution of other conspirators. \u00a0He also agreed to the forfeiture of the proceeds of the crimes, which includes the sale of nine properties that he purchased in Thailand with his ill-gotten gains, officials said.<\/p>\n

\"Michael<\/a>
Former U.S. Foreign Service Officer, Michael T. Sestak<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In an attempt to hide the illegal proceeds of the scheme, Sestak purchased nine real estate properties in Thailand worth over $3 million, officials said. \u00a0As part of his plea agreement, Sestak agreed to sell these properties and forfeit the proceeds in order to satisfy a portion of the money judgment of at least $6 million that will be entered against him.<\/p>\n

The entire scheme generated at least $9.78 million. \u00a0Of this, Sestak personally received over $3 million in proceeds of the conspiracy, which he laundered through China into Thailand.<\/p>\n

Three others have pled guilty to charges in the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a Foreign Service Officer, Michael Sestak should have been upholding his responsibilities to the United States, not illegally cashing in by collecting over $3 million in bribes to short-circuit our visa process,\u201d said Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent Cohen. \u00a0\u201cBecause of this defendant\u2019s selfish greed, nearly 500 foreign nationals were able to enter the United States without the proper screening. \u00a0This sentence reflects the seriousness of his corrupt conduct.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here are the facts surrounding this case, according to authorities:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sestak, a former police officer and Deputy U.S. Marshal, was arrested on May 13, 2013, and has been in custody ever since.<\/p>\n

He and his co-conspirators in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and elsewhere, created about 500 fraudulent applications for non-immigrant visas to the United States. \u00a0The overwhelming majority of these applications were subsequently approved.<\/p>\n

The others who have pled guilty include Binh Tang Vo<\/strong>; his sister, Hong Vo,<\/strong> both American citizens who had been living in Vietnam; and their cousin, Truc Tranh Huynh<\/strong>, a Vietnamese citizen.<\/p>\n

Binh Tang Vo<\/strong>, 41, was sentenced in July 2015 to eight years in prison on charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud, bribery of a public official and conspiracy to commit money laundering.<\/p>\n

His plea agreement also called for forfeiture of nearly $5.1 million. \u00a0Hong Vo<\/strong>, 29, was sentenced in March 2014 to seven months in prison.<\/p>\n

Truc Tranh Huynh,<\/strong> 31, was sentenced in February 2014 to 16 months of incarceration.<\/p>\n

According to the government\u2019s evidence, the criminal activity took place while Sestak was the Non-Immigrant Visa Chief in the Consular Section of the U.S. Consulate<\/strong> in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from August 2010 to September 2012.<\/p>\n

His responsibilities included reviewing visa applications, conducting in-person interviews of visa applicants and issuing visas when appropriate. \u00a0While at the State Department, Sestak held a sensitive position.<\/p>\n

In pleading guilty, Sestak admitted that he and Binh Tang Vo met in Ho Chi Minh City in 2010 and began a personal friendship. \u00a0They ultimately came up with a plan to obtain money in exchange for facilitating the approval of non-immigrant visas from Vietnam to the United States, officials said.<\/p>\n

Sestak conspired with other U.S. citizens and Vietnamese citizens who worked to recruit customers to the visa scheme. \u00a0Before they appeared at the consulate for visa interviews, Sestak would be informed of the identities of foreign nationals who agreed to pay money in exchange for obtaining visas.<\/p>\n

He then attempted to issue a visa to each foreign national who had agreed to pay for obtaining a visa, often disregarding the veracity of the information on the application.<\/p>\n

Sestak admitted that between February 2012 and September 2012, he caused visas to be approved for people whose applications were part of the scheme.<\/p>\n

Payments made by applicants to the conspirators in exchange for visas ranged from $15,000 to $70,000.\u00a0 Many of the individuals who received visas had been previously denied visas for a variety of reasons.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON D.C. A federal judge sentenced former U.S. Foreign Service Officer, Michael T. Sestak, 44, to five years and four months in prison for concocting where he accepted more than $3 million…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6759,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-main-slider","category-u-s-department-of-justice"],"yoast_head":"\nU.S. Consulate Worker Sentenced to Five Years for Receiving $3 Million in Bribes in Exchange for Visas<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"WASHINGTON D.C. A federal judge sentenced former U.S. Foreign Service Officer, Michael T. 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