US Arrests 11 Accused of Arranging More Than 1,000 Sham Marriages for Foreign Nationals
- Federal authorities arrested 11 defendants accused of running a decade-long marriage fraud network primarily targeting Chinese nationals
- Foreign nationals paid up to $100,000 per sham marriage, with US citizens recruited to participate receiving as much as $30,000
- Prosecutors described the operation as one of the largest marriage fraud schemes ever charged in United States history
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Eleven people have been charged in the United States with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration fraud after federal authorities dismantled what prosecutors describe as one of the largest sham marriage networks in American history.
A two-count indictment unsealed on 8 July 2026 alleges that the defendants, operating from at least 2016 through July 2026, arranged more than 1,000 fraudulent marriages between foreign nationals, primarily citizens of the People's Republic of China, and US citizens, in order to secure lawful permanent resident status through deception.
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How the scheme allegedly operated
According to the indictment, the network was structured around distinct roles: facilitators who identified foreign national clients, recruiters who sourced willing US citizens, and assistants who handled immigration paperwork and submitted fraudulent Green Card applications to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Foreign nationals paid facilitators as much as approximately $100,000 per arrangement. Participating US citizens received up to $30,000, paid in instalments tied to milestones in the Green Card application process, while recruiters earned commissions of up to $5,000 for each citizen they brought into the scheme.
The deception extended well beyond the wedding itself.
After ceremonies, which often took place between individuals meeting for the first time, participants staged photographs, opened joint bank and utility accounts, filed joint tax returns, and obtained shared insurance policies to manufacture the appearance of genuine marriages. When USCIS interviews were required, scheme organisers allegedly coached participants on how to provide false answers to immigration officers.
The network operated primarily out of New York City but arranged marriages across multiple US states, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida, as well as in Vanuatu and China.
In total, the defendants are believed to have caused hundreds of fraudulent Green Card applications to be submitted, with the network estimated to have collected tens of millions of dollars from clients.
Defendants and official reaction
The 11 defendants arrested include Amy Cheng, 72, of Brooklyn; Xiao Mei Chan, 64, of Queens; Christine Lu, 52, of Queens; Jing Yan Ye, 43, of Staten Island; Xiao Yan Chen, 48, of Brooklyn; Gang Zheng, 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; and Erika Johnson, 43, of Ossining.
Each defendant faces a maximum of five years in prison on the marriage and immigration fraud conspiracy count, and up to 10 years on the second count of conspiring to encourage the unlawful residence of aliens in the United States.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said the arrests reflected the administration's broader stance on immigration enforcement.
"The individuals who were arrested today allegedly orchestrated elaborate schemes to illegally obtain citizenship for foreign nationals through sham marriages," he said. "Schemes like this are a deliberate affront to the United States and our laws and will not be tolerated under the Trump Administration."
US Attorney Jamie McDonald for the Southern District of New York said the arrests had "dismantled a central component of one of the largest marriage fraud schemes charged in United States history."
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
US moves to revoke citizenship of 25 criminals
In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that the United States has launched the largest coordinated denaturalisation effort in its history, filing 25 complaints since July 20, 2026, against individuals accused of obtaining American citizenship through fraud and concealing serious criminal conduct.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said the effort forms part of a continuing campaign to protect the integrity of the naturalisation process.
Two Ghanaian nationals are among those named in the complaints.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
