Former “Heaven on Earth” boss and Chinese tycoon Tan Hui was sentenced to 7 months in prison on May 9th in a federal court in Long Island, New York, after serving his sentence since being arrested in October last year. Immediately after the sentencing on that day, he was deported from the country, escorted by federal agents to the airport. The specific country for repatriation will depend on his valid passport and the immigration regulations of that country, but China is not among them.
After the sentencing on the 9th, Breon Peace, the Eastern District of New York federal prosecutor, stated, “Tan Hui openly defied our political and immigration systems, deceived US government agencies, ultimately leading to his conviction of serious crimes, imprisonment, and today’s deportation from the United States. Tan Hui has experienced this American citizenship education class and understands the principle of equality before the law.”
“Tan Hui attempted to influence election activities through fraudulent political donations, violating our democratic norms,” said James Smith, Assistant Director of the FBI’s New York Division. “His illegal actions and multiple attempts to manipulate government agencies have been stopped by the FBI. We will not tolerate any other threats attempting similar endeavors. Today’s sentencing and his deportation from the United States should serve as a warning to any potential conspirators not to engage in similar behavior.”
Tan Hui, 56, was born in Sichuan and was known as the “number one private media tycoon.” In 1995, he founded the top nightclub “Heaven on Earth” in Beijing and established the Star Media Group (SMI Holdings Ltd) in 2001, using outstanding investments and the operations platform of SMI company registered in the British Virgin Islands in February 2003. He quickly built the “Star Media Empire,” accumulating a large fortune through the Star Media Cinema business, and was once listed as a billionaire by Forbes magazine.
Tan Hui’s first wife was the niece of Lin Jiamei, the wife of former Chinese President Li Xiannian. He had many dealings with Li Xiannian’s son-in-law, former Chinese Air Force General Liu Yazhou. His second wife, Liu Duo, was a former Chinese model who was appointed as a member of the New York City Mayor’s Asian Affairs Advisory Committee in 2022 under the leadership of Winnie Greco, assistant to Mayor Zheng Qirong.
Tan Hui admitted that in April 2019, in order to obtain US permanent residency, he submitted false information to the US immigration authorities. He claimed that he had never used another name. However, on June 8, 2018, when he returned from Hong Kong to New York, he carried a Hong Kong ID card with his photo and the alias “Li Mulin” when entering Kennedy Airport. Between January 30 and April 30, 2019, FBI agents questioned Tan Hui many times about how he obtained the identity document of Li Mulin.
Initially, he falsely claimed that he had not used another name since 1995. However, he later admitted that a Chinese official provided him with this alias “Li Mulin” identity document in 2008, for which he paid 100,000 yuan.
In September 2017, Tan Hui transferred about 5 million US dollars from a bank account in Hong Kong under the alias Li Mulin to a bank account opened by Liu Duo in the US, part of which was used to purchase a $61.7 million penthouse in Manhattan. He also traveled to Hong Kong, Europe, and Taiwan by private plane using the name Li Mulin. During this process, he did not explain his true identity to relevant US authorities.
After the FBI investigated his false identity documents, on December 20, 2020, Tan Hui obtained a Florida driver’s license by fraudulent means and used it as identification for banks and vehicle insurance companies, as well as providing the Florida driver’s license to the New York Department of Motor Vehicles in exchange for a New York driver’s license.
In 2021, China’s Huzhou Chuantai Rongyuan Investment Management Company pursued debt recovery against Tan Hui in the United States, demanding that the Southern District of New York federal court recognize and enforce the judgment of a Chinese court to repay a $450 million debt.
As Tan Hui’s personal debts continued to increase and his assets were seized in multiple jurisdictions, creditors continued to apply for the enforced execution of the Beijing Arbitration Tribunal judgment in the United States, and he and Liu Duo divorced in China in 2021.
In July 2022, during an argument, Tan Hui choked his former wife Liu Duo, and in September 2023, the Long Island police in New York received another report that Tan Hui had destroyed Liu Duo’s bedroom closet with an axe, which had an electronic lock, with his former mother-in-law and underage son present. The police arrested Tan Hui on suspicion of criminal mischief and released him after issuing a restraining order.
On October 2, 2023, Tan Hui was arrested in an apartment at his Manhattan Plaza Hotel on charges of using false identity documents, and he has been in custody ever since.
On March 18, 2024, Tan Hui pleaded guilty to multiple charges in the Eastern District of New York federal court, including making political donations in other people’s names, immigration fraud, and identity document forgery.
He admitted to providing “ghost donations” to Allan Fung, who ran for Rhode Island Congressman, Andrew Garbarino, a New York state assemblyman, and a candidate for Mayor of New York at that time, Adam Adams, totaling $11,600. However, prosecutors stated that the three candidates were not aware of Tan Hui reimbursing others for donations.
Tan Hui also admitted to obtaining a green card and a Florida driver’s license through fraudulent means with the assistance…
According to the indictment, the accomplices in the case include a conditional permanent resident, a Chinese citizen, an American citizen, and a green card holder.
Tan Hui has filled out the I-407 form to renounce the green card obtained by fraud. In addition to deporting Tan Hui, the prosecution recommended an additional two-year supervised release period and required Tan Hui to “comply and follow all instructions of immigration authorities” and “not illegally re-enter the United States without permission.” The prosecutor pointed out that although Tan Hui will be deported immediately, “his repeated fraudulent behavior shows that a two-year supervised release period is necessary to prevent him from attempting to illegally re-enter the country again under false pretenses.”