On December 18, 2025, in the southern district of New York, federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment accusing Kevin Seto, an official with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Hiu Kit David Chong, a former administrator at a private research university, of participating in a long-term bribery scheme. The scheme involved providing illegal immigration and law enforcement facilitation and confidential information at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
Kevin Seto was arrested on the afternoon of the 16th and appeared in court in the southern district of New York. Hiu Kit David Chong was arrested in California and will be arraigned in the central district federal court of California. The bribery scheme also involved Henry Yau, a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) supervisory detention and deportation officer, who was indicted in another case at the end of 2024 that is still in judicial process.
Prosecutors allege that between at least 2018 and 2024, Kevin Seto and Henry Yau used their positions to accept bribes and kickbacks from Chong and others in exchange for passing on confidential law enforcement and immigration information. They provided expedited entry for specific individuals at JFK Airport in New York, including helping them bypass passport inspection queues and enjoy fast security screening services.
According to prosecutors, Hiu Kit David Chong was one of the main individuals bribing Kevin Seto and Henry Yau. Chong worked as an assistant director in the graduate admissions office at the University of Southern California from 2008 to 2016. In exchange for the favors, he provided Kevin Seto with hotel suites, high-end dining, and alcohol, and paid cash to Henry Yau. In return, the two law enforcement officials repeatedly leaked sensitive law enforcement and immigration information related to Chong and others through the Department of Homeland Security’s internal, password-protected databases, including confidential information regarding whether Chong was under criminal investigation.
Hiu Kit David Chong previously admitted to committing telecommunication fraud in California in April 2020. He confessed to altering university transcripts, forging recommendation letters, and submitting false personal statements to help ineligible Chinese international students gain admission to the University of Southern California. Through his academic consulting company, he charged fees to ineligible international students, promising to assist in admissions. After three unqualified Chinese students paid him $38,000, they secured graduate admissions with Chong also offering to arrange test-takers to sit for the TOEFL exam and purposely concealing the fact that the students paid for these services from the university. Chong was sentenced to a year of probation on September 17, 2020.
Federal prosecutors stated that apart from Chong, Seto and Yau also provided similar illegal assistance and information to other foreign nationals and American citizens. Such actions seriously undermine the integrity of border enforcement and pose risks to national security.
As outlined in the indictment, 38-year-old Seto, residing in Queens, and 41-year-old Chong, residing in California, are charged with conspiring to accept bribes and kickbacks, illegal transfer and disclosure of government records, and conspiracy to commit identity theft. Seto faces additional charges of obstruction of justice and making false statements to law enforcement.