The US Justice Department unsealed a two-count indictment Wednesday, accusing the defendants of running an international operation that allegedly facilitated fraudulent marriages from 2016 through July 2026, Anadolu Agency reported.
The scheme primarily targeted Chinese nationals seeking to obtain US immigration benefits, according to the indictment. Some clients allegedly paid as much as $100,000 for sham marriages, while US citizens recruited to participate reportedly received about $30,000.
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The operation allegedly stretched across Connecticut, Florida and Georgia, while also involving individuals and activities in China and Vanuatu. Prosecutors said the network relied on a broad range of professionals and service providers, including marriage officiants, attorneys, tax preparers and insurance providers.
Investigators allege that participants staged wedding ceremonies and posed for photographs to make the marriages appear genuine. The conspirators also allegedly created fake supporting documents, including joint bank accounts, insurance policies and tax returns, in an effort to convince US immigration authorities that the relationships were legitimate.
According to prosecutors, members of the network went further by coaching participants on how to answer questions during immigration interviews and instructing them to provide false information to US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
“This Department of Justice is rooting out fraud everywhere — including in our immigration system,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said, describing the operation as a “deliberate affront” to US law.
The indictment comes as the Trump administration continues its broader crackdown on immigration-related fraud and unlawful residency.
All 11 defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit marriage and immigration fraud as well as encouraging unlawful residence. If convicted, they could face combined maximum prison sentences of up to 15 years.
US Attorney Jamie McDonald for the Southern District of New York said the arrests had dismantled a key part of what authorities described as “one of the largest marriage fraud schemes charged in United States history.”
The case highlights the scale and sophistication of immigration fraud networks that can operate across multiple countries, using seemingly legitimate marriages and financial records to conceal arrangements designed to circumvent US immigration laws.
