Federal prosecutors have charged 11 New Yorkers in what Attorney General Todd Blanche described as one of the largest marriage fraud cases ever brought in the United States, accusing the group of orchestrating more than 1,000 fake marriages over the past decade to fraudulently secure green cards for foreign nationals.
According to Blanche, the defendants allegedly created a lucrative operation that paired foreign nationals—primarily from China—with American citizens in sham marriages designed solely to bypass U.S. immigration laws. He said the enterprise generated millions of dollars while helping applicants unlawfully obtain lawful permanent resident status.
Although the indictment was filed in the Southern District of New York, prosecutors contend the operation reached far beyond the state, arranging fraudulent marriages in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida.
Authorities allege that several of the defendants served as organizers who coordinated the overall operation, while others recruited Americans willing to enter fake marriages or acted as officiants to solemnize the fraudulent unions.
Investigators say the organizers promoted illegal immigration services through social media platforms and other advertising channels, targeting foreign nationals seeking a path to permanent residency.
Blanche said Chinese nationals allegedly paid as much as $100,000 to secure a fraudulent marriage that would allow them to apply for a green card.
The Americans who agreed to participate in the sham marriages were reportedly paid up to $30,000 for their involvement.
To make the marriages appear authentic, prosecutors allege the defendants staged photographs and established shared bank accounts, mobile phone plans, and other joint financial arrangements intended to convince immigration authorities the relationships were genuine.
The indictment further claims participants were coached on how to mislead immigration officials and conceal the fact that their marriages existed only on paper.
Blanche said many of the couples also signed prenuptial agreements that stripped away the normal legal rights associated with marriage, including inheritance rights, child support obligations, and claims to marital property. Prosecutors said one agreement explicitly acknowledged that although the individuals would be husband and wife in name, they would continue living separate lives and avoid interfering with one another.
The Justice Department estimates the alleged scheme brought in tens of millions of dollars from foreign nationals seeking permanent legal status in the United States.
“These charges, and the indictments now unsealed, they show how far people will go to cheat our immigration system,” Blanche said at a news conference Wednesday. “Gaining American citizenship and legal status to reside in this great nation is a sacred privilege, and we will ensure it is always done in accordance with the law protecting our communities and national security.”
The announcement comes shortly after President Donald Trump signed two executive orders aimed at curbing birth tourism, another practice his administration says exploits weaknesses in the nation’s immigration system.
“Our efforts to protect our immigration system and our country’s borders are aggressive and exhaustive,” Blanche said. “No matter how complicated the scam, we will do everything in our power to stop it.”
The newly unsealed indictment contains two conspiracy charges: conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration fraud, and conspiracy to encourage the unlawful residence of aliens in the United States.
Those charged are 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.
