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DOJ charges 11 in scam
The U.S. Justice Department unveiled criminal charges against 11 people on Wednesday, alleging an "extensive marriage fraud scheme" involving more than 1,000 "sham marriages" between Chinese nationals and U.S. citizens.
“The Justice Department unveiled criminal charges against 11 people on Wednesday”
The alleged scheme ran from 2016 to 2026 and was secured in New York's Southern District, with prosecutors saying it was facilitated by defendants Amy Cheng, Xiao Mei Chan and Gang Zheng.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said the case is "one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in United States history," describing it as a yearslong, multi-million-dollar operation.
Prosecutors allege foreign nationals paid facilitators as much as approximately $100,000 for assistance in obtaining a sham marriage and applying for a Green Card, while facilitators allegedly made a commission of about $5,000.
The indictment also alleges the marriages were arranged to help assist Chinese nationals obtain green cards in the United States, with ceremonies sometimes held at nearby restaurants where participants changed into traditional Chinese wedding attire.
Blanche, McDonald detail roles
At a Wednesday press conference, U.S. attorney Jamie McDonald said, "We believe this network took in tens of millions of dollars over its decade-long operation," describing it as one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in U.S. history.
McDonald said the indictment charges 11 people from the metropolitan area with various roles, including recruiting U.S. citizens to enter sham marriages and arranging sham wedding ceremonies with officiants, wedding attire, photographers and attendees.
The indictment alleges facilitators used word of mouth, social media, and various forms of advertising to market fraudulent immigration services to foreign nationals, primarily citizens of the People's Republic of China.
Prosecutors allege the scheme included an odd prenuptial clause stipulating that husband and wife would live separate lives and have nothing to do with one another, and that once a foreign national obtained a green card, the organizers arranged for a divorce.
The Justice Department said the alleged fraud went on for more than a decade and resulted in hundreds of sham marriages, with American citizens paid thousands of dollars to marry Chinese nationals seeking green cards.
Where it spread, what’s at risk
Prosecutors allege the network orchestrated sham marriages throughout the United States and abroad, including places such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Vanuatu, and the People's Republic of China.
“including in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Vanuatu, and China”
The Justice Department said the scheme was based principally in New York City but arranged sham marriages throughout the United States and overseas including in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Vanuatu, and China.
The indictment alleges foreign nationals paid facilitators as much as approximately $100,000 for a sham marriage and assistance obtaining lawful permanent resident status, while facilitators allegedly paid participating U.S. citizens up to about $30,000 and paid recruiters commissions of as much as approximately $5,000 for each citizen recruited.
The Department of Justice said the defendants caused at least hundreds of fraudulent Green Card applications and supporting documents to be submitted to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and that when interviews were required, participants were coached on how to conceal the true nature of their relationships.
In a statement, USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow said, "Anyone willing to lie, cheat or steal their way to legal immigration status is a direct threat to America's national security," as the case targets the integrity of immigration status.
