Criminal Cases

Chinese National Charged With Bribing Well-Known San Francisco Public Official Appears In Court

Chinese National Charged With Bribing Well-Known San Francisco Public Official Appears In Court

A Chinese national has appeared in U.S. court to face charges associated with bribing a well-known San Francisco public official. 

According to an official release from the IRS, Zhang Li, of Guangzhou, China, is the founder and CEO of a Chinese real estate development company. He is accused of bribing Mohammed Nuru, the former head of the San Francisco Department of Public Works. The charges were announced by First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Robbins, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (CI) Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp.

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Credit: gorodenkoff/Getty Images

The IRS provided details about the situation, noting that one of Zhang's companies, Z&L Properties, Inc., is also facing charges for honest services wire fraud "for providing bribes and gifts to Nuru in exchange for favorable city treatment of Z&L Properties' mixed-use project at 555 Fulton Street in San Francisco."

During legal negotiations, Zhang and Z&L Properties have agreed to waive the right to an indictment in exchange for admitting that they engaged in specific criminal conduct. Z&L Properties Inc. is a U.S.-based company managed by Zhang. It previously managed the development of the 555 Fulton Street project. 

According to information presented during Zhang's hearing, he bribed Nuru by "providing him with food, drinks, luxury lodging, and transportation during a trip Nuru took to China in 2018." 

"CI's [Criminal Investigation's] priority is to ensure a fair and level playing field for all taxpayers," said Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian of the Oakland Field Office. "Mr. Li's conduct shows that greed and financial crimes have no borders, and we will continue to pursue those who take advantage of our system and taxpayers by following the money worldwide. We are proud to have worked alongside our federal law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney's Office in bringing this case a step closer to closure."

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Credit: Keith Tsuji/Getty Images

Attorney Robbins also spoke out regarding the situation, saying, "Zhang Li and Z&L Properties have admitted that they bribed a top San Francisco public official. The criminal charges and resolutions announced today send a clear message that this office will not tolerate the corruption of public officials in the District by anyone, including individuals acting from outside of the United States."

"To those who seek to corrupt public officials in the United States, wherever they are, we will use the powers at our disposal to bring them to justice and hold them accountable to the rule of law," he concluded. 

Charges were originally brought against Zhang by criminal complaint in May 2021. 

Nuru was previously sentenced to 84 months in federal prison in August 2022. Another co-conspirator, Walter Wong, faced conspiracy charges in June 2020 but ultimately entered a guilty plea and agreed to cooperate with authorities. 

What do you think about this San Francisco bribery case?

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Rebekah Barton

Rebekah Barton

Rebekah's search engine optimization career began completely by accident as a college student. Over the course of her career so far, she has "grown up" with the SEO industry, from writing content while juggling classes to managing her own teams of writers and overseeing SEO strategy in subsequent roles. She is excited to bring her passion for high-quality content to CountingWorks, Inc.

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