Federal authorities have charged 11 people accused of operating one of the largest marriage fraud schemes prosecuted in United States history, arranging more than 1,000 sham marriages to help foreign nationals obtain immigration status.
A two-count indictment unsealed Friday alleges the defendants operated a nationwide and international network from at least 2016 through July 2026. Its customers were primarily citizens of the People’s Republic of China, some of whom allegedly paid as much as $100,000 for a fraudulent marriage and assistance obtaining lawful permanent resident status.
The network was based principally in New York City but allegedly arranged marriages across the United States and overseas, including in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Vanuatu and China.
Federal authorities arrested the 11 defendants Friday and executed search warrants at multiple New York locations, including properties in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and Flushing, Queens.
Those charged are:
- Amy Cheng, also known as Amy Zhou, 72, of Brooklyn
- Xiao Mei Chan, also known as Carmen, 64, of Queens
- Christine Lu, also known as Lily, 52, of Queens
- Jing Yan Ye, also known as Serene, 43, of Staten Island
- 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
- Erika Johnson, 43, of Ossining
According to prosecutors, the operation included facilitators who found foreign-national customers, recruiters who identified American citizens willing to participate and assistants who prepared immigration documents and coordinated Green Card applications.
The organization also allegedly relied on marriage officiants, attorneys, tax preparers, insurance providers and other service providers.
Participating American citizens were allegedly paid as much as $30,000, generally through installments connected to milestones in the immigration process. Recruiters could receive commissions of up to approximately $5,000 for each citizen they recruited.
Prosecutors said the network recruited hundreds of American citizens and is believed to have collected tens of millions of dollars from foreign nationals seeking permanent residency.
Many couples allegedly met for the first time shortly before obtaining marriage licenses. Participants then conducted sham ceremonies and staged photographs intended to make the marriages appear legitimate.
Afterward, members of the network allegedly manufactured additional evidence of genuine relationships by opening joint financial and utility accounts, filing joint tax returns, purchasing insurance policies and taking more staged photographs.
The defendants and their alleged co-conspirators then prepared Green Card applications containing materially false information, according to the indictment. When USCIS interviews were required, participants were allegedly coached to conceal the actual nature of their relationships and give false answers to immigration officers.
The operation caused at least hundreds of fraudulent Green Card applications and supporting documents to be submitted to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, prosecutors said.
“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 for the Southern District of New York said.
Each defendant faces one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration fraud, carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Each also faces one count of conspiracy to encourage the unlawful residence of aliens in the United States, carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and Westchester County District Attorney’s Office investigated the case.
An indictment contains allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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