Yasin Gungor
12 August 2026•Update: 12 August 2026
The US Justice Department unsealed a two-count indictment Wednesday, charging 11 individuals for their roles in a massive criminal network that arranged more than 1,000 sham marriages to bypass immigration laws.
“This Department of Justice is rooting out fraud everywhere — including in our immigration system,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. He characterized the elaborate scheme as a "deliberate affront" to national laws and emphasized that the actions will not be tolerated under the Trump administration.
The network operated an international business model from 2016 through July 2026, primarily helping citizens of China obtain fraudulent permanent residency, according to the indictment. Some customers reportedly paid up to $100,000 for a sham marriage, while the US citizens recruited to participate received payments of approximately $30,000.
The network allegedly operated in multiple US states, including Connecticut, Florida, and Georgia, as well as in China and Vanuatu. It also relied on marriage officiants, attorneys, tax preparers, insurance providers and other service providers.
Participants executed the fraud by staging wedding ceremonies and photographs to make the unions appear legitimate. To further deceive US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the conspirators manufactured evidence such as joint bank accounts, insurance policies and tax returns. The defendants also coached participants on how to provide false answers during immigration interviews.
The 11 defendants each face charges of conspiracy to commit marriage and immigration fraud, alongside encouraging unlawful residence. If convicted, they face combined maximum penalties of up to 15 years in prison.
US Attorney Jamie McDonald for the Southern District of New York noted that the arrests dismantled a central component of "one of the largest marriage fraud schemes charged in United States history."
