EL MONTE (CBS) — A Chinese national was arrested Tuesday for allegedly creating a phony U.S. Army unit and recruiting other Chinese nationals by telling them it was a path to U.S. citizenship.

Yupeng Deng, also known as David Deng, was taken into custody by agents from the FBI and the U.S. Department of Defense and jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail.

According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the 51-year-old El Monte resident is facing 14 felony counts, including obtaining money, labor or property by false pretenses, deceptive document crime and an unrelated count of possession of matter depicting a minor engaging in sexual conduct.

Deng allegedly created a phony U.S. military unit called the U.S. Army/Military Special Forces Reserve unit in 2008, gave himself the title of “Supreme Commander” and recruited more than 100 Chinese nationals, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

He allegedly charged initiation fees ranging from $300 to $450 per year to each recruit, with renewal fees set at $120 annually.

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/14984641/2011/04/04-12-11_phony_unit_1.mp3 KNX 1070’s Claudia Peschiutta Reports

Recruits could increase their rank in the unit by making cash donations to Deng.

The recruits were provided with phony U.S. Army uniforms, fake documents and fraudulent military ID cards and directed to report to Deng’s Temple City office for military training and indoctrination, the documents alleged.

The recruits marched in a parade in Monterey Park and took a tour of the USS Midway museum in San Diego while dressed in uniform, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Deng is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.

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