Feds Charge 11 in Chinese Sham Marriage Ring
Feds Charge 11 in Chinese Sham Marriage Ring
The News
The Justice Department charged 11 people Wednesday with running a decade-long marriage fraud ring that arranged more than 1,000 sham marriages to win green cards for Chinese nationals.
Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the arrests, describing a lucrative scheme centered in New York City that targeted the U.S. green card application process at USCIS.
Prosecutors say Chinese nationals paid up to $100,000 for an arranged marriage, with roughly $30,000 going to each U.S. citizen who took part in a fake union.
Timeline
The scheme operated across multiple U.S. states and abroad, according to the DOJ.
Federal prosecutors unveiled charges against the defendants, and AG Blanche publicly announced the arrests.
More
According to the DOJ, facilitators collected about $5,000 in commission per arranged marriage.
Organizers staged fake wedding ceremonies — some held at restaurants, complete with traditional attire and invited guests — to deceive immigration officials.
The network also recruited attorneys, tax preparers, and bogus marriage officiants, and submitted fraudulent documents on behalf of applicants seeking lawful permanent residency.
Lead defendants named in the indictment include Amy Cheng, Xiao Mei Chan, and Gang Zheng.
What's Next
All defendants face conspiracy charges covering marriage fraud, immigration document fraud, and encouraging unlawful residence.
The cases now move through federal court, where prosecutors will lay out how many green cards were obtained before the ring was detected.
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