An unsealed indictment details a sham marriage scheme allegedly operated by nearly a dozen New Yorkers to help obtain American citizenship for mainly Chinese nationals, federal prosecutors announced this week.
The two-count indictment charges 11 New Yorkers, all from New York City or Westchester County, with running a nationwide and international marriage fraud network from 2016 through July 2026 where marriages were arranged between American citizens and mostly Chinese nationals.
While most of the fraudulent marriages allegedly occurred in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida, while some occurred overseas in Vanuatu and China.
Facilitators involved in the scheme, prosecutors allege, would find foreign customers and pair them with American citizens who would be recruited and paid about $30,000. Such facilitators would be paid about $100,000 per sham marriage while recruiters were paid about $5,000 per American they recruited.
Others involved would then file fraudulent green card applications with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
“This Department of Justice is rooting out fraud everywhere — including in our immigration system. The individuals who were arrested today allegedly orchestrated elaborate schemes to illegally obtain citizenship for foreign nationals through sham marriages,” Attorney General (AG) Todd Blanche said in a statement. “Schemes like this are a deliberate affront to the United States and our laws and will not be tolerated under the Trump Administration.”
The defendants arrested for the scheme are:
- Amy Cheng, also known as “Amy Zhou,” 72, of Brooklyn, New York;
- Xiao Mei Chan, also known as “Carmen;” 64, of Queens, New York;
- Christine Lu, also known as “Lily,” 52, of Queens;
- Jing Yan Ye, also known as “Serene,” 43, of Staten Island, New York;
- Xiao Yan Chen, also known as “Anna,” 48, of Brooklyn;
- Gang Zheng, also known as “Michael” and “Mike,” 61, of Queens;
- Anthony Cheng, 47, of Staten Island;
- Michelle Duenas, 35, of Staten Island;
- Angela Duenas, 26, of Staten Island;
- Sigrid Cetino, 32, of Peekskill, New York; and
- Erika Johnson, 43, of Ossining, New York.
“The defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly operated a nationwide and international, multimillion-dollar marriage fraud scheme, using participants to abuse United States immigration laws for their own profit,” U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said.
He continued:
Today’s arrests have dismantled a central component of one of the largest marriage fraud schemes charged in United States history. As this prosecution shows, we and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those seeking to corrupt and exploit our nation’s lawful immigration system. [Emphasis added]
Each defendant has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration fraud. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Additionally, each defendant has been charged with one count of conspiracy to encourage the unlawful residence of aliens in the United States. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com.
