Lawyer in California birthing-hotels case indicted

Ken Liang faces US charges on tampering with witness over alleged $6,000 payment

Orange County, California immigration lawyer Ken Liang was indicted on Wednesday for witness tampering after authorities say he took $6,000 to help a female Chinese "birthing house" witness flee the United States.

Prosecutors said that Liang, who is scheduled to be arraigned June 22 at Orange County's Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse, could face up to 40 years in prison.

Federal prosecutors say Liang has been in custody since his arrest on May 20.

The woman was a witness in a March probe of Southern California "birthing houses," where pregnant Chinese women pay to stay so their children can be born in the US with American citizenship. That investigation continues.

Prosecutors say Liang was recorded taking the bribe in exchange for helping the woman board a plane without travel documents. Unknown to the attorney, she was cooperating with federal agents.

As a material witness, the woman implicated in Liang's case was subject to a court order preventing her from leaving the US. Liang had been representing the witness until the court removed him as attorney of record on April 17, according to a press release from the US attorney's office.

According to federal prosecutor Jerry C. Yang there is evidence that Liang, 38, may have already smuggled two witnesses in the case back to China and he bragged to a government informant wearing audio and video devices that he knew how to get out of the US on an airplane without having the required documents.

An affidavit written by a special agent with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations recounts several recorded meetings between Liang and the witness.

In one, Liang told her he could guarantee her safe return to China in exchange for a $6,000 fee for himself and up to $3,000 to pay for help provided by three others.

In early March, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided 37 birthing centers in Southern California to collect evidence for alleged tax and visa fraud.

A total of 29 Chinese individuals were designated by US magistrates as witnesses to testify against the business operators, who allegedly helped women come to the US on fraudulent visas. In exchange for their testimony, they would not be charged with any crimes.

Ten of the 29 jumped bail of $5,000 and fled to China in April. Two of the fleeing witnesses were being represented by Liang.

According to California state bar records Liang graduated from Case Western School of Law in Cleveland and got his license to practice in California in June 2005.