Diplomat charged with selling US visas

[Karee 4,191]

WASHINGTON - A consular officer allegedly sold visas for millions of dollars at the US Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, and laundered millions in profits by buying real estate in Phuket and Bangkok, reports said Sunday.

Foreign Service officer Michael T Sestak was charged by the US government with selling non-resident visas (green cards), mostly for between $50,000 and $70,000 - roughly 1.5 million to 2.1 million baht.

He has been held without bail for more than a week as a "serious flight risk" defendant. Mr Sestak faces charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud and bribery.

The story was covered up by the US State Department, but was revealed by McClatchy news agency last Friday.

The number of visas allegedly sold by Mr Sestak, 42, is not yet known. But a 28-page affidavit filed by the US government against him alleges he "received several million dollars in bribes" from Vietnamese seeking to emigrate to the United States.

The affidavit alleged:

"He ultimately moved the money out of Vietnam by using money launderers through offshore banks, primarily based in China, to a bank account in Thailand that he opened in May 2012. He then used the money to purchase real estate in Phuket and Bangkok, Thailand."

Presumably, Mr Sestak bought condominiums, although the affidavit did not reveal that detail.

The investigation of the alleged green-card sales took 10 months from its beginning to the arrest of Mr Sestak last week in California. It began when an informant told the US government that 50 to 70 people from one Vietnamese village had all obtained visas by paying bribes.

During his service at the consulate in Vietnam's commercial hub, previously called Saigon, the rate of visa rejections fell from 35 per cent to just 8.2 per cent.

The charges against Mr Sestak include five alleged co-conspirators, who have not yet been named outside court. One is the "general director of the Vietnam office of a multi-national company located in Vietnam". The four other are friends or relatives of this person, all of whom live in Vietnam.

Along with Mr Sestak, the group allegedly advertised on the quiet that visas to the US could be obtained for a price by going through them.

Both inside Vietnam and in Vietnamese communities in the US, the group advertised that visas could be guaranteed, including for those who wouldn't otherwise be likely candidates, reports said. Other co-conspirators were paid to help to prepare the applications, and Mr Sestak would review the application and approve it, provided the money was right.

Source:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/351889/us-consulate-officer-in-vietnam-old-green-cards

[Karee 4,191]

It was already difficult to get a visa from HCMC. This will probably make it even more so.

[aaydrian 479]

I heard of one official selling a visa for 2 $2500 watches and a few backstage passes to concerts/shows. I knew this guy was cheap but $5000 for a visa is like free sampling at the supermarket compared to the guy in the OP.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

It was already difficult to get a visa from HCMC. This will probably make it even more so.

I dunno. It's going to make working at the consulate miserable, for sure. There will probably be a big hosing-down.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

The price I was quoted in Lagos for a "back door interview " by someone there was about 1/2 that. I really think this is very common in high fraud consulates.

[Karee 4,191]

The price I was quoted in Lagos for a "back door interview " by someone there was about 1/2 that. I really think this is very common in high fraud consulates.

The sad thing is that the people with legit applications are the ones that are going to suffer for this.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

The sad thing is that the people with legit applications are the ones that are going to suffer for this.

Only if the entire consulate is corrupt........................

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Only if the entire consulate is corrupt........................

The entire consulate doesn't need to be corrupt. Just the people that control visa numbers. Consulates are huge organizations and the visa part is only a small portion of what they do.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

WASHINGTON - A consular officer allegedly sold visas for millions of dollars at the US Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, and laundered millions in profits by buying real estate in Phuket and Bangkok, reports said Sunday.

Foreign Service officer Michael T Sestak was charged by the US government with selling non-resident visas (green cards), mostly for between $50,000 and $70,000 - roughly 1.5 million to 2.1 million baht.

He has been held without bail for more than a week as a "serious flight risk" defendant. Mr Sestak faces charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud and bribery.

The story was covered up by the US State Department, but was revealed by McClatchy news agency last Friday.

The number of visas allegedly sold by Mr Sestak, 42, is not yet known. But a 28-page affidavit filed by the US government against him alleges he "received several million dollars in bribes" from Vietnamese seeking to emigrate to the United States.

The affidavit alleged:

"He ultimately moved the money out of Vietnam by using money launderers through offshore banks, primarily based in China, to a bank account in Thailand that he opened in May 2012. He then used the money to purchase real estate in Phuket and Bangkok, Thailand."

Presumably, Mr Sestak bought condominiums, although the affidavit did not reveal that detail.

The investigation of the alleged green-card sales took 10 months from its beginning to the arrest of Mr Sestak last week in California. It began when an informant told the US government that 50 to 70 people from one Vietnamese village had all obtained visas by paying bribes.

During his service at the consulate in Vietnam's commercial hub, previously called Saigon, the rate of visa rejections fell from 35 per cent to just 8.2 per cent.

The charges against Mr Sestak include five alleged co-conspirators, who have not yet been named outside court. One is the "general director of the Vietnam office of a multi-national company located in Vietnam". The four other are friends or relatives of this person, all of whom live in Vietnam.

Along with Mr Sestak, the group allegedly advertised on the quiet that visas to the US could be obtained for a price by going through them.

Both inside Vietnam and in Vietnamese communities in the US, the group advertised that visas could be guaranteed, including for those who wouldn't otherwise be likely candidates, reports said. Other co-conspirators were paid to help to prepare the applications, and Mr Sestak would review the application and approve it, provided the money was right.

Source:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/351889/us-consulate-officer-in-vietnam-old-green-cards

Question. How do that many poor immigrants come up with 70K apiece

[Darnell 8,479]

this guy was selling non-immigrant visas.

Just saying - before y'all jump all over the idea of the problem being in the immigrant visa section at HCMC.

Sure, there was a problem child in the immigrant visa section at HCMC, but not during the time this cheeseball worked in the non-immigrant section.

[Eric-Pris 1,607]

Question. How do that many poor immigrants come up with 70K apiece

Exactly. If they have that in the 3rd world, why come to the US.

[duraaraa 203]

I don't get it -- what kind of visa was he selling? It says non-resident visa, but then it says green card... Isn't a green card residence permission?

Regardless, it's total ####### that such a thing would happen. I wonder if the government could somehow do a better job in choosing which people can be put in positions of such great power. Total power-drunk a-holes end up in police, consular officers, TSA folk, etc. etc.

Edited May 27, 2013 by duraaraa

[Darnell 8,479]

the author back at the newspaper is very confused on many points, but no one in the editing review camp knows anything about immigration and visas, so it's ok.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Good reason to eliminate government wherever possible. The Tax code would be a good place to start.

I am curious though how a "non-resident" visa is determined to be a "green card" Something is lost there, but be that as it may, this is what happens when you give power to someone to make a "decision" arbitrarily and with little or no oversight. It was predictable what Blagoyovich would do when he had the sole power to appoint a Senator. It is predictable that when it is diffucult to receive what many people want, then someone will offer a "easy way" for a price.

This policy of absolute corruption pervades the former Soviet Union to this day and is acceptable and accepted by those people as being efficient and "the way to live" You want your pension check> Pay the mailman his $1 and shut your mouth. Otherwise your check gets "lost". A system exists which allows this.

It is no different than discriminatory concealed carry licenses. A person meets the qualifications but is denied, or can be denied, at the whim of a government "official" we have no opportunity to elect. People in Ukraine are routinely handed visas without questions asked because they meet the standards, while people in Viet Nam and other places are subject to government clerk tyranny.

A system exists that allows this man to do what he did. Punishing him amounts to "shame on you", leaving the system that allowed it to occur intact is "shame on us"

The US needs to establish reasonable guidelines for persons to visit or enter as Fiancees/spouses and enforce those fairly

[spookyturtle 9,466]

There's almost always a way for a corrupt individual in the right place who has the necessary access to beat the system. There is more than one illegal immigrant in MA driving with a genuine license that was purchased from a corrupt RMV employee. If you have the money and the right connections, it's doable.