Xui Jie Chen, also known as “Johnny Chen,” 32, appeared in court on Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maximiliano D. Couvillier III in Las Vegas, Nevada. He, along with one person from New York and another from China, is facing charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
An indictment from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada describes a scheme involving more than 5,000 driver’s licenses obtained using false information. Jin Wei Chen (41, of Flushing, New York), and Yue Yuan (34, of China) are accused of using stolen identities to get money from banks and buy luxury cars. The alleged activities took place in at least 14 states. They are each charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and multiple counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, they face up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud and at least 2 additional years for identity theft.
Homeland Security Investigations Las Vegas, along with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Nevada Gaming Commission, and the Nevada Gaming Control Board Enforcement Division, led an investigation resulting in charges against Johnny Chen, Jin Wei Chen, and Yue Yuan. U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah, Matthew R. Galeotti from the Justice Department, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes announced the case, which is set for a jury trial on July 14, before U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan. The defendants are charged in connection with a financial crime case and are presumed innocent until proven guilty, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
