Timothy Barton, a respected Texas real estate developer with over 30 years of experience leading JMJ Development, LLC, was ensnared in a complex international fraud scheme allegedly orchestrated by Michael Fu, Haibo Jiang—an alleged high-ranking Chinese Communist Party (CCP) police official—and Jiang’s wife, Yiling Wu.
A Developer Deceived by Trusted Networks
In 2016, builder Stephen Wall, who worked with Fu, recruited Barton to manage the initial groundwork for a residential development project in Texas. Wall vouched for Fu’s credibility citing past partnerships with major U.S. home builders like Lennar. Fu, who solicited investments from Chinese nationals, and Wall, an established builder, collaborated to present the project as a legitimate opportunity. They even leveraged their professional networks to convince Barton to join while concealing the underlying fraudulent scheme.
As the horizontal developer, Barton cleared land, installed infrastructure, navigated zoning regulations, and secured local government approvals. He also obtained the necessary permits to ensure the project complied with local laws and was ready for future home construction by builder Stephen Wall. In return, they promised him a 5% fee.
Fu and Wall later persuaded Barton to take on additional projects. As he expanded involvement with Fu and Wall, he remained unaware of the illicit underpinnings. Unknowingly, Barton walked into a scheme orchestrated by Fu’s associate Haibo Jiang and his alleged CCP connections. Fu and Jiang were soliciting funds from Chinese nationals while concealing their ties to CCP interests, presenting the venture as legitimate.
CCP Connections and Financial Deceit
Jiang leveraged his status as an alleged high-ranking CCP officer, tied to China’s anti-corruption and intelligence networks, to circumvent China’s $50,000 annual transfer cap. He accomplished this through proxy investors, shell accounts, and illegal cash smuggling. Jiang and his network, including a financier named Li Jun, channeled up to 70% of investment funds into Wall’s projects while violating U.S. anti-money laundering laws.
Fu’s U.S. entities, including Platinum Investment Corporation, solicited loans under false pretenses and diverted funds. Barton, unaware, personally guaranteed construction loans to cover deficits, mistakenly believing Fu’s claims of project solvency.
The Collapse and Legal Retaliation
The scheme fell apart after an estimated $20 million funding shortfall across Wall’s projects, involuntary bankruptcy, and Chapter 11 reorganization, prompted Barton to file suit. Barton’s relationship with Fu deteriorated. By 2019, Fu and Wall formed Wall020, LLC—excluding Barton. The Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings revealed fake Chinese investor names and fictitious addresses.
Jiang’s CCP backed network used straw investors to funnel funds, to obscure illicit flows. Barton’s attempt to repay legitimate lenders was obstructed when Fu refused to disclose their identities. Fu’s refusal to provide “know your customer” information forced contractual breaches, leaving Barton vulnerable to legal repercussions while Fu pocketed commissions upfront.
Visual Breakdown: How the CCP Funding Scheme Targeted Tim Barton
Barton’s Reputation Exploited Abroad
Barton suffered severe financial and reputational damage from Jiang and Wu’s CCP-orchestrated tactics. Unbeknown to Barton, Fu was using JMJ’s name in China to solicit funds for unrelated projects. Fu falsely represented himself as affiliated with JMJ, even printing business cards with the JMJ logo.
Upon discovering that Platinum Investment Corporation, led by Michael Fu, falsely identified itself as a Carnegie/JMJ Development entity, Barton sent a cease-and-desist email. He demanded they immediately stop using JMJ Development’s branding and the Carnegie name to defraud Chinese nationals and CCP officials.
Biden’s SEC and Political Weaponization
The fraud intensified as Jiang’s attorney, Jiangang “James” Ou, threatened Barton with SEC action unless he redirected funds to U.S. accounts. When Barton refused, the threats materialized.
After the 2020 stolen election, Melissa Hodgman, wife of Trump critic and disgraced former FBI agent Peter Strzok, was appointed Acting Director of Enforcement at the SEC. Under her leadership, the agency targeted Barton in 2022 with a civil suit and DOJ indictment, even though Barton had not solicited securities. Fu, who managed all Chinese lender communication, had misrepresented Barton’s role entirely.
President Trump calls out the SEC for political bias, naming Melissa Hodgman, wife of disgraced FBI agent Peter Strzok, for targeting innocent people interested in financing Truth Social. “They’re trying to silence us because we’re winning,” he says.
Michael Fu testified under oath that Jiang attempted to resolve the case in exchange for a $4 million bribe. Fu also admitted his team misled investors, took excessive service fees, and pocketed millions before projects were funded.
Depositions Reveal the Scheme’s Inner Workings
In video depositions, Fu and Jiang revealed their dishonesty. Fu claimed secured funding, but admitted funds often never materialized. Jiang, described by Fu as a CCP “special agent” and “sniper/sharpshooter,” was evasive, frequently disconnecting from video calls during depositions. Attorneys noted Jiang disconnected only after tough questions. Jiang repeatedly disconnected from deposition video calls when asked about his control over funds or his CCP role, including a planned $20 million cash transfer via a Las Vegas casino.
For Example, Jiang dodged questions about his coordination of remitters by disconnecting when asked to clarify if he personally funded loans attributed to others. This suggested that he used proxies to mask his involvement. Fu misrepresented Haibo Jiang as a minor investor, but Jiang’s testimony exposed his substantial role and the tactics used to conceal the funding sources. Jiang later admitted to using his parents, wife, and friends as proxy investors to disguise $2.3 million in contributions.
Barton Silenced, But Not Defeated
These actions, centered on loans rather than securities, fell outside the SEC’s jurisdiction, as Barton never solicited securities or funds. Fu, a Mandarin speaker, exclusively managed all lender communications and solicitations, including for entities unaffiliated with Tim Barton.
Barton sought damages for fraud, conspiracy, tortious interference, and malicious prosecution. The SEC halted his legal efforts to expose Fu, Jiang, and Wu, allegedly to shield CCP officials. The SEC barred Barton from exposing Fu’s culpability in this CCP Scam, obscuring Barton’s victim status and shielding the true orchestrators. Despite initiating Chapter 11 reorganization to repay lenders, Barton faced stonewalling when Fu refused to provide documentation. In China, lender Xiao Ruiling sued Fu for fraud, substantiating Barton’s claims.
The SEC’s enforcement campaign, bolstered by local media like Dallas Morning News, aligned with threats from Jiang’s legal team. This cost Barton millions in fees and delayed unrelated ventures. Meanwhile, Jiang used his CCP connections to silence dissent and protect fraudulent operations.
Exploited and Abandoned
Tim Barton’s story is a cautionary tale of a U.S. businessman who took on what seemed like a low-risk role but soon found himself ensnared in a sophisticated foreign fraud operation. The Biden SEC’s political bias further victimized Barton, using his misfortune to pursue charges unrelated to his conduct. As Fu and Jiang evaded accountability, Barton’s financial and reputational toll mounted, highlighting the dangers of CCP infiltration and bureaucratic overreach.
A Living Nightmare: My Family Was Destroyed by a Weaponized Government Under the Biden Regime. This is the personal story behind the Tim Barton CCP scam and how the Biden administration protected Chinese Communist Party operatives while targeting an American businessman.