11 charged in marriage fraud scheme involving 1,000+ sham unions

The Justice Department charged 11 people with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, immigration document fraud, and conspiracy to encourage the unlawful residence of aliens in the United States. The alleged New York City-based scheme involved more than 1,000 sham marriages between Chinese nationals and U.S. citizens and ran from at least 2016 through July 2026, per a 21-page indictment secured in the Southern District of New York.

Attorney General Todd Blanche called the case "one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in United States history." Blanche stated: "This scheme was not a quick fly-by-night operation, but rather a yearslong, multi-million-dollar cottage industry to criminally assist people who would not or legally could not otherwise become citizens of the United States."

Foreign nationals paid as much as approximately $100,000 for assistance in obtaining a sham marriage and applying for a green card, according to the indictment. U.S. citizens involved were paid as much as $30,000, mostly in installments tied to milestones in the green card application process. Recruiters received commissions as high as $5,000 for each citizen willing to participate. Jamie McDonald, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, stated: "We believe this network took in tens of millions of dollars over its decade-long operation, making it one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in U.S. history."

The scheme was facilitated by defendants Amy Cheng, 72; Xiao Mei Chan, 64; Christine Lu, 52; Jing Yan Ye, 43; Xiao Yan Chen, 48; Gang Zheng, 61; Anthony Cheng, 47; Michelle Duenas, 35; Angela Duenas, 26; Sigrid Cetino, 32; and Erika Johnson, 43. All 11 defendants were naturalized U.S. citizens from China or green card holders. The network included facilitators who oversaw the scheme and identified foreigners, recruiters who found willing American citizens and ensured their continued participation, and assistants who prepared immigration paperwork and coordinated green card application submissions.

In some cases, sham wedding ceremonies were held at nearby restaurants where the foreign nationals and U.S. citizens changed into traditional Chinese wedding attire. The facilitator, recruiter, foreign national, and U.S. citizen invited friends and family to create the appearance of a legitimate wedding. The recruiters orchestrated marriages throughout the United States and abroad, in places such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Vanuatu, and the People's Republic of China.

After the married couples visited a local office affiliated with the scheme and signed forms for submission to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, they were coached about the USCIS interview process to apply for a green card. The couples then executed prenuptial agreements, which waived their rights to share in the other's estate upon death. The scheme relied on marriage officiants, attorneys, tax preparers, insurance providers and other service providers. Once a foreign national obtained a green card, the organizers allegedly arranged for a divorce. The defendants used word of mouth, social media, and various forms of advertising to market fraudulent immigration services.

Authorities are looking into whether the federal government will revoke the green cards for those involved in the fraudulent marriages. In February, 11 people were charged in a similar alleged marriage fraud scheme involving the recruitment of U.S. military service members to marry Chinese citizens. That scheme was orchestrated by a Chinese transnational gang that recruited military members to participate in fraudulent marriages so that Chinese citizens could obtain immigration benefits and access cards for U.S. military installations.