Haoxiang Gao, a 20-year-old Chinese national and green card holder studying at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, is facing prosecution for illegal voting in the 2024 election.
Gao, who was initially ordered to remain in Michigan on a $5,000 bond, has now been charged with fleeing to avoid prosecution. This development came to light this week when it was discovered that Gao had left the U.S. for China on January 19, the day before President Trump's inauguration, using a secret passport.
According to a report by MLive, Gao was on Delta Flight #389 from Detroit International Airport to Shanghai. This information was revealed in a recently unsealed federal case. Gao had been compelled to surrender his passport when he was arraigned on the original charges of false swearing to register/vote and unqualified elector attempting to vote on November 8, 2024. His passport, bearing a serial number ending in "1332," was handed over to authorities on November 1, as per the federal criminal complaint.
However, Gao managed to bypass airport security and board the flight to Shanghai using a different passport in his name, with a serial number ending in "7137," as reported by Gateway Pundit. The Detroit News shared an image of Gao in a post about his escape from the U.S.
Gao failed to appear for a probable cause hearing scheduled for April 24, as reported by VoteBeat. His attorney, K. Orlando Simn, a staff member at the University of Michigans Student Legal Services, declined to comment on his whereabouts. University officials and the Washtenaw County prosecutors office have not yet responded to requests for comment.
This case has drawn attention to a loophole in the states same-day registration system, leading lawmakers and state officials to propose new solutions to prevent such incidents in the future. Judge J. Cedric Simpson of District 14A Court issued a bench warrant for Gao's arrest after a conference with Gaos lawyer. If convicted, Gao could face up to nine years in prison and potential deportation.
Interestingly, Gao seems to have chosen to self-deport without being asked to by Tom Homan. The Michigan Enjoyer, which conducted an in-depth investigation into Gaos case in March, revealed that Gao had admitted to authorities that he should not have voted and had contacted officials about his mistake.
Gao, also known as Neil, was born in China but spent part of his childhood in the U.S., attending elementary school in Seattle before his family returned to China. They later moved to Florida before his junior year of high school. Despite holding a green card, Gao is not an American citizen and is therefore ineligible to vote.
However, on October 27, 2024, Gao decided to vote, believing his status as a green card holder qualified him to do so, according to police reports obtained by Michigan Enjoyer. Unfortunately, Gaos vote could not be separated from the others and was counted as a legal vote.
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