The previous high-ranking aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul and Andrew Cuomo accused of working as a Chinese language agent reaped luxurious items and rewards from her clandestine double life, federal prosecutors stated Tuesday.
Linda Solar, 41, and her husband Christopher Hu, 40, faces expenses of violating and conspiring to violate the Overseas Brokers Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling and cash laundering conspiracy, in keeping with a newly-unsealed indictment in Brooklyn federal court docket.
In trade for advancing Beijing’s agenda in New York, the feds allege that Solar and Hu obtained thousands and thousands of {dollars} in shady kickbacks and laundered it to purchase a $4.1 million Manhasset mansion, a $2 million Honolulu luxurious condominium and a fleet of luxurious vehicles, together with a 2024 Ferrari Roma.
However the Chinese language authorities’s gravy prepare allegedly didn’t cease there. Among the many items that grateful Chinese language officers lavished on Solar and her household, in keeping with the indictment, are:
‘Nanjing-style salted geese’
The indictment states that the private chef for “PRC Official 1” — believed to be Chinese language Consul Normal in New York Huang Ping — cooked up Nanjing-style salted geese that have been then delivered to Solar’s mother and father’ house.
Solar and her household obtained six salted geese from the chef round July 28, 2021, and one other six that November, the feds allege.
They received much more of the duck dishes round March 15, 2022, after which once more that November, too, in keeping with the court docket paperwork.
Moreover, the high-ranking Chinese language consulate official hosted Solar and her household for dinner at his house.
Selection live performance tickets, journey
Solar, her household and Hu scored alternative live performance tickets, together with to the Chinese language Nationwide Conventional Orchestra live performance at Carnegie Corridor in December 2015, the indictment states.
In addition they obtained six tickets to the Guangzhou Ballet efficiency at Lincoln Heart on Aug. 17, 2019, the court docket papers say.
The feds additionally say that Chinese language officers gifted Solar six tickets with VIP suite entry to an unspecified sporting occasion in August 2022.
Different perks included paid-for journey to China, together with reserving a presidential resort suite beforehand utilized by First Woman Michelle Obama throughout her keep in Beijing, and a job for certainly one of Solar’s cousins.
Sprawling houses and luxurious vehicles
Hu’s enterprise ventures in China additionally benefited from Solar’s political double-dealings, and ended up producing thousands and thousands that he funneled to the US as a part of a cash laundering scheme, the indictment contends.
His Queens-based seafood firm and wine retailer, in the meantime, formally made little cash, the paperwork state.
Regardless of making modest incomes on paper, Hu and Solar purchased the Lengthy Island mansion, the ocean-view condominium in Hawaii, a 2024 Ferrari Roma, a 2024 Vary Rover/L460 and a 2022 Mercedes GLB250W4, in keeping with paperwork.
Prosecutors have moved to grab the properties and vehicles, together with roughly $210,000 in money and cash from varied accounts.
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