US flight school employees kidnap Chinese student, try to forcibly deport him back to China

‘Your ass is getting on the plane right now or I’ll break your (bleeping) arm,’ one of the instructors told the student

In a completely bonkers story, a pair of flight school employees in California are being accused of kidnapping a Chinese student and trying to forcibly send him back to China.

Last Thursday evening, 21-year-old Shi Tianshu was visited at his home in Redding, California by Jonathan Lipton McConkey, the general manager of the IASCO Flight Training school, and his assistant, Kelsi Hoser. The pair told Shi to pack his bags because he was being shipped out to China early the next morning.

Shi had enrolled in a flight training program at the school through the Civil Aviation Flight University of China where he was studying. Because he hadn’t received any prior information from his university about being sent back to China, he refused to go.

However, when McConkey and Hoser arrived back at his home the following morning, they did not take no for an answer. Shi said that he was threatened and physically assaulted by McConkey. Fearing for his safety, he eventually agreed to go with the pair who immediately drove him to the Redding Municipal Airport, where he was apparently going to be flown to the Bay Area and put on a flight to China.

Fortunately, during his abduction, Shi managed to alert his brother, living in Shanghai, who then contacted the Redding Police Department and told them about what had happened.

About an hour later, police arrived at the airport where they arrested McConkey and Hoser. Corporal Rob Peterson of Redding police said that Hoser had told officers that they were sending Shi back to China because his English wasn’t good enough to be able to safely communicate with air traffic control.

Jonathan Lipton McConkey and Kelsi Hoser.

Speaking about the kidnapping, Shi, who has only been in the US for seven months, was visibly shaken. “My inside is bad because I never had this experience before,” he told local media.

Shi was able to secretively record the confrontation he had that morning with McConkey and Hoser. He then shared that recording with the Record Spotlight. In the recording there are three voices, that of Shi, a male voice believed to be that of McConkey, and a female voice believed to be that of Hoser:

“You’re going home, with or without your luggage,” a male voice is heard saying. A woman’s voice is also clearly audible, speaking Mandarin to Shi. Then, the woman raises her voice and switches to English, demanding that Shi do the same. “If you cannot speak English, you are not going to be able to stay here,” the woman is heard saying. Shi is heard faintly referencing the documents he says he hasn’t received. The man replies that Shi is in his custody. “Do you understand what in my custody means? Do you understand? It means I will forcibly remove you,” The male voice says. “If you want the police to come with guns, I got you on that. Alright? You ass is leaving right now. Let’s (profanity) go.” The man’s voice is heard saying he has Shi’s passport. “Boy, don’t (profanity) with me, do you understand?” the male voice says. Shi asks if the man is threatening him. “Your ass is getting on the plane right now or I’ll break your (profanity) arm. You better believe I’m (profanity) threatening you. And the United States government needs you out of this country right now, you understand?” the male voice says. “You are here illegal, you know that. If you don’t go with us, you go to jail,” the female voice says. “You’re going to jail if you don’t go with me,” the male voice adds.

Shi arrived in the United States seven months ago on an M-1 visa, which is granted to foreign students who enroll in vocational programs in the US. He said that his visa is valid for one year and that his university had paid IASCO $70,000 to train him.

However, Shi says that he had been grounded for the past two months, apparently because of his poor English skills.

“I can’t speak English well in life, but I can speak English well with air traffic control,” he told the Record Spotlight.

McConkey and Hoser have both been charged with suspicion of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit crime. Their bail was set at $100,000.

Students at IASCO.

After the story of Shi’s kidnapping broke nationwide another one of the school’s Chinese student came forward with a similar story about how McConkey and Hoser had also visited him on Thursday night and told him that he would be sent back to China immediately.

24-year-old Zhang Xun Yi had enrolled in an IASCO training program through Xiamen Airlines, which had paid more than $90,000 to the school on his behalf. He had also been grounded from flying for the past three weeks, a move which he claims came because he allowed a friend that he had made in Redding into his home to use the restroom.

Yi says that if he does not complete the training program, then he and his family will be liable for the $90,000. He plans on going to the Chinese Embassy for help. Meanwhile, Shi has plans of hiring an attorney.

“It’s ridiculous, they can’t treat us like this,” said one of Shi’s roomate who spoke out on the incident anonymously. “They treated [Shi] like an animal, not a human being.”

Students at IASCO.

IASCO Flight Training appears to specialize in training future Chinese pilots with the the Civil Aviation Authority of China sending up to 180 students to the school, according to its website. However, it would certainly seem that the IASCO’s reputation has been tarnished by this incident.

On the school’s Facebook page, dozens of people have authored negative, scathing, and sarcastic reviews.

“ High class flight instruction with free deportation assistance to eligible Chinese students. Very patriotic organization that runs only slightly afoul of established human rights principles and a few select laws,” reads one.

“If you are a member of a white supremacy group, IASCO will give 80% discount on training fee. Beside training you for flying, IASCO will also train you to kidnap non-whites and deport them. A good place to be racist!!!!!” reads another.