U.S. charges 11 for alleged sham marriage scheme to help Chinese nationals gain green cards

Washington — The Justice Department unveiled criminal charges against 11 people on Wednesday, alleging they participated in an "extensive marriage fraud scheme" that involved more than 1,000 "sham marriages" between Chinese nationals and U.S. citizens.

The 21-page indictment, secured in New York's Southern District, alleged that the marriage scheme ran from 2016 to 2026, and was facilitated by defendants Amy Cheng, Xiao Mei Chan and Gang Zheng.

At a press conference announcing the charges, Attorney General Todd Blanche called the case "one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in United States history."

"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," Blanche said.

The alleged sham marriages were arranged to help assist Chinese nationals obtain green cards in the United States, the indictment said.

The defendants "used word of mouth, social media, and various forms of advertising to market fraudulent immigration services to foreign nationals — primarily citizens of the People's Republic of China — including their ability to arrange sham marriages to facilitate fraudulent applications for lawful permanent resident status in the United States," according to the indictment. 

"Foreign nationals paid facilitators as much as approximately $100,000 for assistance in obtaining a sham marriage and applying for a Green Card," it added. Facilitators of the arrangements, meanwhile, allegedly made a commission of about $5,000.

The indictment included photos of alleged sham marriage ceremonies that prosecutors said the defendants submitted to U.S. immigration officials. 

"In some cases, these sham wedding ceremonies were held at nearby restaurants, where the foreign nationals and United States citizens changed into traditional Chinese wedding attire, and the facilitator, recruiter, foreign national, and United States citizen invited friends and family to create the appearance of a legitimate wedding," the indictment said.

While many of the recruiters operated in New York, the indictment alleged they orchestrated the 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.