Two Chinese nationals have been charged by federal prosecutors in Missouri with offenses involving firearms and naturalization fraud, including allegations that one of them falsely claimed to be the purchaser of a handgun and sought to join the U.S. Air Force to obtain citizenship.
According to the indictment, Huang made a false statement under oath in connection with a naturalization matter between Aug. 1, 2025, and July 27, 2026, and separately made a false statement to a firearms dealer on May 28, 2026, in the course of purchasing a firearm. The indictment also alleges Du illegally possessed a firearm between June 1 and Aug. 26, 2026.
Motions filed seeking to detain both defendants until trial lay out a more detailed account. Huang entered the United States on a student visa on July 13, 2023, and attended graduate school in St. Louis. She married on May 22, 2024, and later obtained Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) status—but did so, prosecutors allege, after misrepresenting the status of her marriage during an Oct. 14, 2025, interview and on her LPR application.
Du was issued a B1/B2 nonimmigrant visa in September 2022 and entered the United States on Oct. 2, 2022. About a year later, he applied for asylum, according to the motions.
The two crossed paths after Huang moved to New York in June, the filings state. She subsequently applied to join the U.S. Air Force, telling a recruiter she wanted to obtain citizenship as quickly as possible, then divorce her husband and marry Du, according to the motions.
During the investigation, FBI agents determined that Du had attempted to purchase a firearm on Oct. 18, 2025, but the purchase was denied and he was informed of the reason, the motions state. He went on to rent a firearm at least 13 times. On May 29, 2026, his credit card was used to purchase a 9mm pistol—with Huang allegedly filling out paperwork falsely identifying herself as the actual buyer, according to the filings.
If convicted, Huang’s naturalization-related false-statement charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine. The firearm charges against both defendants carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang is prosecuting the case.
