Over the Christmas holiday weekend, I learned that Yukai Yang had posted $200,000 cash bail in Northampton County. With that, ICE exercised physical custody of Mr. Yang and removed him from Northampton County Prison to a holding location in Lehigh County pending a deportation hearing in York, Pa. I then learned that Yang intended to waive his right to deportation and apparently thought that he could evade prosecution by going home to China.

As a result of all of this, I directed ADA Abraham Kassis to file a Motion to Modify Bail and a Writ with ICE to have Mr. Yang returned to us for prosecution . This was filed on Dec. 24, 2018. ICE cooperated with my office in this, and Mr. Yang is now back in Northampton County Prison. I am asking that Mr. Yang be held without bail in that he poses a serious flight risk. A hearing will be held on the Commonwealth’s Motion at the discretion of the Court as soon as possible. A copy of that Motion and proposed Order of Court is attached.

If this was an American citizen, that person would be required to face these charges. Mr. Yang thought that because he is a foreign national, now here illegally in that his student visa has been revoked, that he could post bail, waive his right to a deportation hearing and abscond. That will not happen. I want to commend ADA Kassis and officials at ICE who worked over the holiday to assure that the victim in this case will have these charges heard by a judge and or jury.