- The US charged 11 people in a scheme to obtain green cards via sham marriages.
- Defendants recruited U.S. citizens and arranged fake weddings, staging family photos to make marriages appear legitimate.
- Attorney General Blanche stated that such schemes have real cost and rob the country of its ability to know who should be allowed in America.
U.S. authorities have charged 11 individuals in a significant New York-based scheme that allegedly facilitated sham marriages for green cards, impacting hundreds of Chinese nationals.
The Department of Justice revealed that American citizens were compensated up to $30,000 to enter into these fraudulent marriages, which were orchestrated over a decade.
The defendants reportedly charged up to $100,000 per green card, generating tens of millions of dollars throughout the operation.
Authorities believe the group arranged more than 1,000 sham weddings, marking it as one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in U.S. history.
Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized the scale of the operation, stating, "This scheme was not a quick, fly-by-night operation but rather a yearslong, multibillion dollar cottage industry to criminally assist people who would not, or legally could not, otherwise become citizens of the United States."
The indictment includes individuals accused of officiating the sham weddings, highlighting the extensive network involved in this fraudulent activity.
Blanche further noted, "These schemes have real cost. They rob our country of its ability to know who should be and who should not be allowed in America."
“The defendants allegedly staged fake weddings and family photos at restaurants to make the marriages appear legitimate. Blanche said the scheme has real cost, robbing the country of its ability to know who should be allowed in America.”
NBC New York
