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联邦大陪审团9日宣布起诉库比蒂诺华人常如武（Jonathan Chang）和他的妻子李薇林（Grace Chang），指控他们犯有图谋电汇诈欺、电汇诈欺、图谋洗钱、洗钱等罪名。

常如武涉嫌用与教会相似的名字注册一个他个人的慈善组织，然后将捐款人每月捐给教会的钱祕密转移到他自己组织的帐号。

常如武在2002到2011年间担任该教会长老，负责教会的财务管理和会计事务，在此期间他的妻子李薇林协助他工作。

常如武还被控向同一受害捐款人骗捐，声称用于为基督之家第四家购置新堂。该捐助人捐出200万元，又借出300 万元给该教会买新建筑。但是常如武夫妇涉嫌并没有将这笔资金告诉基督之家第四家，而是置于自己掌控之下。

起诉书指出，常氏夫妇被控从2004年至2006年间，从这名捐款人手上总共获得740万元本应用于教会的资金，但却被他们据为己有。他们两人都被控一宗图谋电汇或邮件诈欺罪、四宗电汇诈欺罪、一宗图谋洗钱罪和三宗洗钱罪。

两名被告都于8日早晨在库比蒂诺的住所被捕，并在圣荷西联邦法院首次出庭。他们获准以每人20万元交保候审。法官库辛斯（Nathanael Cousins）裁决两被告下一次出庭时间为11日下午1时30分，届时将确定辩护律师及进一步处理保释程序。

如果被定罪，两名被告将各面临每一宗图谋电汇诈欺和图谋电汇诈欺罪最高刑期各20年徒刑外加罚金25万元，以及每一宗图谋洗钱罪和洗钱罪最高刑期20年徒刑。此外还必须为图谋洗钱罪和洗钱罪缴付50万元罚金或者洗钱金额两倍数额罚金，两者之间取金额较高者。

萨拉托加教堂是基督之家湾区六个分支之一。其他分支机构设在旧金山，门洛帕克，弗里蒙特，库比提诺和纽瓦克。

Jonathan Chang Former Home of Christ Church Elder and Wife Grace Chang Accused of Defrauding Church and Donor of $7.4 Million

A former elder of a Saratoga church and his wife have been indicted by a federal grand jury in San Jose on charges

 of defrauding the church and a wealthy foreign donor of $7.4 million. Jonathan Chang, 60, and Grace Chang, 57, of Cupertino, were accused in a nine-count wire fraud and money launderingindictment issued under seal on Feb. 4.

The indictment was unsealed Monday after the couple made initial appearances before a federal magistrate in San Jose and were each released on bonds of $200,000. Jonathan Chang was formerly an elder of the Home of Christ Church 4 in Saratoga from about 2002 to 2011, with responsibility for managing the church’s finances, according to the indictment. Grace Chang assisted him with correspondence and other tasks, the document said.

The Saratoga church is one of six Bay Area branches of the nondenominational Home of Christ Church. The other branches are located in San Francisco, Menlo Park, Fremont, Cupertino and Newark. The charges against the pair include one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud by bilking the church and a foreign donor, identified only by the initials C.W., of a total of $7.4 million between 2004 and January 2016.

The indictment alleges that Jonathan Chang set up a supposed charitable foundation called Home of Christ Associates, or HOC Associates. The couple allegedly then deceived C.W. into believing the supposed foundation was associated with the church, and deceived the church into believing it was the same as a genuine foundation established by C.W.

The couple allegedly diverted a $2 million donation and $3 million loan from C.W. for a new church building, $1.5 million in other donations from C.W. and $900,000 in church funds to the supposed foundation and then used the funds for their own benefit.

The indictment also charges both Changs with four counts of wire fraud for transfers of money made from C.W. in Taiwan to an HOC Associates bank account, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and three counts of money laundering for transfers of funds from the HOC Associates account to accounts they controlled. Each count carries a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison upon conviction.

The Changs are due to return to the court of U.S. Magistrate Nathanael Cousins on Thursday for identification of their defense lawyers and a further bond hearing.