Accused money launderer’s niece denies properties proceeds of crime

The niece of a man who was a key target of an RCMP investigation into the biggest money-laundering case in B.C. history has denied in court filings that two Metro Vancouver properties she owns have been used to launder money.

Juanjuan Jia is the registered owner of a mortgaged $764,000 condo on Jones Road in Richmond and a mortgaged $3.24-million house on Chelsea Court in West Vancouver.

Both properties are named in a lawsuit by the province to seize assets and money, including millions in cash and vehicles — totalling more than $8 million — as proceeds of crime.

In its filings in B.C. Supreme Court, the B.C. Civil Forfeiture Office claims that both properties were used to launder money.

The civil forfeiture office also alleges that Paul King Jin is the beneficial or true owner of both properties, and that Jia acted as a nominee owner or owner of convenience on behalf of Jin.

Jia is the niece of Jin, who was named as a key suspect in the RCMP’s E-Pirate money laundering probe. Jin was arrested on Feb. 24, 2016 for possession of proceeds of crime, money laundering and running illegal gambling operations, but was not charged, according to court documents.

The threshold for proving a civil claim is lower than for a criminal conviction, a balance of probabilities rather than beyond a reasonable doubt.

Jin, who is also named in the civil forfeiture action, has not responded to the lawsuit that contains allegations that have not been proven in court.

In her court filings, Jia denies her uncle is the beneficial owner of the two properties, and says that they were not purchased with and/or maintained with the proceeds of crime. She denies that Jin purchased the properties or paid deposits.

“Ms. Jia denies that the proceeds of unlawful activity, as alleged or at all, were converted into the Jones Road property or the Chelsea Court property, nor are the Jones Road property or the Chelsea Court property likely to be used to facilitate unlawful activity in the future,” her statement says.

Jia also denies she was a director of numbered company 0820490 B.C. Ltd., doing business as the Water Cube, a massage parlour. However, B.C. corporate registry documents listed Jia as a director of the numbered company in 2009. The Water Cube was managed by Jin, who was also listed as a director at one point with the numbered company, according to corporate registry documents.

Also included in the B.C. Civil Forfeiture suit is $4.86 million in cash, a 2011 Porsche 911, $45,000 in chips from the River Rock and Edgewater casinos, and various other items including computers, cellphones, gambling equipment and jewelry.

E-Pirate is considered B.C.’s largest money-laundering investigation and uncovered an underground bank in Richmond, Silver International, that allegedly laundered as much as $220 million a year, and possibly as much as $1 billion. Police allege clients of the bank included drug traffickers, high-roller Chinese gamblers and members of Mexican drug cartels, according to court documents.

Ledgers of Silver International seized during the police investigation show Jin received $27 million from the underground bank between June and October 2015, according to court records. During that same period, Jin’s gambling houses had a net profit of $32 million, according to court documents.