International marriage fraud ring dismantled in the United States
United States federal authorities have dismantled a complex criminal structure dedicated to massive marriage fraud. A total of 11 people were charged with orchestrating more than 1,000 sham unions over the last decade, with the goal of facilitating permanent residency for foreign citizens illegally.
The network, which operated primarily from New York, extended its tentacles to states such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida, in addition to maintaining international connections in China and Vanuatu. According to investigations, the scheme was active from at least 2016 until July 2024.
A millionaire business based on deception
The Department of Justice detailed that the main clients were foreign nationals, mostly of Chinese origin, who paid sums of up to $100,000 to obtain legal immigration status through sham marriages. For their part, the U.S. citizens recruited to participate in these unions received payments of up to $30,000, while the organization’s recruiters obtained commissions of $5,000 for each individual brought into the scheme.
The magnitude of this operation, which generated tens of millions of dollars, made this structure one of the largest immigration fraud networks ever charged in the Southern District of New York.
Modus operandi: simulation of a life together
To evade the controls of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the organization did not limit itself to the wedding ceremony. Those involved fabricated evidence of an authentic relationship by:
- Staged photo sessions.
- Opening of joint bank accounts.
- Contracting shared insurance and utility services.
- Filing tax returns as a married couple.
- Exhaustive preparation for immigration interviews in order to hide the fraudulent nature of the union.
Legal status of those involved
The defendants, identified as Amy Cheng, Xiao Mei Chan, Christine Lu, Jing Yan Ye, Xiao Yan Chen, Gang Zheng, Anthony Cheng, Michelle Dueñas, Ángela Dueñas, Sigrid Cetino and Erika Johnson, face serious charges:
- Conspiracy to commit marriage and immigration fraud (with a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison).
- Conspiracy to encourage illegal residence of aliens (with a penalty of up to 10 years in jail).
The investigation was carried out by a coalition of agencies that included Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, and specialized USCIS units. Currently, the defendants are undergoing judicial proceedings, maintaining their presumption of innocence while authorities continue with the corresponding legal procedures.
