Hello, I am Yimei Zhang, and I would like to acknowledge here, that I understand it is not uncommon for criminals to claim that they are innocent. However, I hope that after you read my story, which is the truth, that you will believe that I am a victim, and not a perpetrator. I am not a criminal, nor am I a threat to the United States. I am a loving and caring mother with a kind and giving heart, who loves and misses her family with all my heart and being. My family is my life. You don't know how much it hurts me not being allowed to be with my family. It is the most painful thing I have ever exerienced in my life.
The following are the facts as they happened.
Please note that this is a shortened version of my story. Our complete affidavits, and sworn testimony from me, and my husband Dennis can be found at "PDF Gallery Page of our website, or you can read my complete letter to USCIS/HAB Here.
Yimei
On June 9, 2015, I was falsely convicted of a drug charge in Dafang County, China. I was sentenced to 8 months in prison and fined 1000 RMB. On November 19, 2015, I was detained at the Dafang County Detention House for Women in the Guizhou Province, I was released 3 months later on February 24, 2016.
I have not committed any criminal offenses related to narcotics in Dafang or anywhere else. I was set up by my then-boyfriend, with whom I cohabitated along with his mother, and who physically abused me. He stashed drugs in my shoulder bag without my knowledge.
My admission to the drug offense at the Public Security Bureau (Police) in Dafang County was not voluntary, that I was detained for over 12 hours by the Chinese police without food, or contact with family or attorney, while pressuring me to confess. The Chinese police unlawfully extracted a confession from me, and that without the confession, I was afraid of what they would do to me.
The Chinese Government is known for longstanding human rights abuses, such as torture, by those detained by the Chinese government. Based on this fear, I confessed to a crime that I did not commit. The Chinese Public Security Bureau wrote the statement and I signed it---- I was not permitted the opportunity to consult a lawyer. After I signed their report, I was given a cell phone to call my parents. My parents immediately came to the police station and took me home, while I waited for my court date.
To stand with my wife Yimei, I would like to add my thoughts, and those of the several attorneys in Guiyang, Guizhou China that we have spoken with about what happened to Yimei and her case. Below is our group consensus.
To sum things up, it is apparent that this was a sting operation arranged between the DaFang County plain clothes Public Security Bureau and Zeng, Lin's friend who was arrested the day before. It could have possibly been a plea deal to get a lighter sentence or free from conviction. But for whatever reason, this was an attempt to apprehend and arrest the source, Zeng, Lin. However, the only thing that was not anticipated by this pre-arranged sting was that Zeng, Lin would not show up, rather his innocent girlfriend Yimei, that was pregnant with Zeng, Lin's baby, and who had no idea that she was doing something illegal ended up taking the box to the friend of Yimei's boyfriend Zeng Lin, who later that same day left town.
It is speculated that the plain clothes police already knew that there were drugs in the box that Zeng, Lin's friend gave back to Yimei with the 100 yuan. The analysis of the contents in the box wasn't reported until days later.
It is apparent that the plain clothes police were no doubt in close proximity to the friend of Zeng, Lin, and most likely had gone to the location together to wait for Zeng, Lin. But Yimei went to the location instead of Zeng, Lin, and this was something that Zeng, Lin's friend did not count on because it is believed that the friend knew Yimei was not involved in this at all, and that nothing could be said because the plain clothes police were most likely standing next to Zeng, Lin's friend when he was talking to Yimei on the cell phone.
The whole plan to arrest Zeng, Lin had failed. It didn't happen, and now the many Public Security Agents from both Dafang County, and from Bijie City, Guizhou who were involved with planning and staging this costly and nonproductive event, now had to save face for this embarrassment.
It is clear that Yimei's boyfriend Zeng, Lin sent Yimei because he may have been aware that there may be an arrest. It is agreed by all, that he is a coward and a terrible human being to set-up his girlfriend Yimei to be arrested. It's unconscionable.
Yimei has never taken drugs, or has associated with anyone who did drugs, or who was involved in drugs. Yimei loves her family, and would not do anything to bring shame to her family name.
My husband Dennis and I have talked with numerous lawyers in China to see whether it is legally possible to file a motion to vacate my coerced guilty plea based on duress or other human rights ground. My husband even contacted the American Citizen Services (ACS) at the US Embassy in Beijing, and despite extensive outreach to law offices, we were unable to locate ANY lawyer in China who would take on this case. They all claimed it was futile, and possibly dangerous, to make a claim that agents of the Chinese government violated my human and legal rights.
As Yimei's husband, I do not want my wife, or my son to be raised in a country like China, which tortures and kills its citizens without regard to constitutional rights like those enjoyed in the U.S. It pains me terribly to hear him cry for his mother, but we believe we made the right decision to keep him safe in the U.S.