Chinese millionaire ‘Love Mother’ who adopted 118 children is sent to prison for fraud and extortion
- Court in Hebei hears how philanthropist squeezed business rival by sending children from her orphanage – some of whom were disabled – to shut down construction site
- Li Yanxia was arrested in May last year following a tip-off
The millionaire who became known as “Love Mother” when she adopted more than 100 children has been jailed for 20 years by a court in northern China for fraud and extortion.
Li Yanxia, 54, also known as Li Lijuan, made her fortune in the iron ore business in the 1980s and 1990s, but struck a chord with the public in 1996 when she adopted the first of 118 children .
On Wednesday, Wuan City People’s Court in Hebei province also fined Li 2.67 million yuan (US$390,000) and sent 15 co-defendants, including her boyfriend, to prison for terms of up to 12½ years for disturbing social order, extortion, fraud and intentional injury – offences that took place between 2011 and 2018.
At trial, Li addressed the court several times and insisted she was not guilty, Beijing Youth Daily reported.
After sentencing, the court website said Li’s “hooligan crimes” included forging company documents, illegally retaining mining rights, blackmail, and defrauding large sums of money from local government and companies.
The court’s summary did not give a total for monies involved in the case.
