Federal authorities have charged 11 people in New York in connection with what prosecutors describe as one of the largest marriage-fraud operations ever prosecuted in the United States, accusing the group of arranging sham marriages to help foreign nationals obtain green cards and legal immigration status.
The alleged operation was run from New York and continued for more than a decade. According to the U.S. Justice Department, the network is believed to have arranged more than 1,000 fraudulent marriages, primarily involving Chinese nationals seeking permanent residency in the United States.
Prosecutors allege that organizers recruited American citizens willing to enter fake marriages in exchange for money. U.S. citizens could receive as much as $30,000, while foreign nationals were allegedly charged up to $100,000 for assistance securing a sham marriage and applying for a green card. Authorities estimate the operation generated tens of millions of dollars over its decade-long existence.
The scheme allegedly went far beyond simply arranging marriages. Investigators say organizers staged wedding ceremonies, hired officiants and photographers, provided wedding attire and arranged guests to make the relationships appear genuine. In some instances, couples reportedly posed for photographs at restaurants and other locations to create evidence that could be presented to immigration authorities.
Prosecutors said some agreements even included provisions indicating that the supposed husbands and wives would live separate lives. Once a foreign national obtained a green card, the network allegedly helped arrange a divorce, allowing the participants to end the fraudulent marriage.
The 11 defendants, who allegedly played different roles in organizing and facilitating the marriages, were charged under a federal indictment filed in New York and were expected to appear in federal court in White Plains. ABC7 reported that those convicted could face sentences of up to 10 years in federal prison.
Federal officials described the investigation as a significant crackdown on organized immigration fraud, saying the scale and duration of the alleged network distinguished it from typical individual marriage-fraud cases.
The case is now moving through the federal court system, where prosecutors will seek to prove allegations that the defendants operated an organized business designed to exploit the U.S. immigration system through hundreds of carefully staged relationships and weddings.
