11 Charged in Alleged Scheme of Over 1,000 Sham Marriages for Chinese Nationals

Federal prosecutors have unveiled criminal charges against 11 individuals accused of participating in an extensive marriage fraud scheme involving more than 1,000 "sham marriages" designed to help Chinese nationals obtain U.S. green cards.

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The defendants used word of mouth, social media, and various forms of advertising to market fraudulent immigration services to foreign nationals, primarily citizens of the People's Republic of China, including their ability to arrange sham marriages to facilitate fraudulent applications for lawful permanent resident status in the United States.

The 21-page indictment, filed in New York's Southern District, alleges the scheme operated from 2016 to 2026 and was facilitated by defendants Amy Cheng, Xiao Mei Chan, and Gang Zheng. The indictment states that the defendants marketed fraudulent immigration services, including arranging sham marriages, primarily to citizens of the People's Republic of China.

Foreign nationals allegedly paid facilitators as much as $100,000 for help in securing a sham marriage and applying for lawful permanent resident status. Facilitators, in turn, reportedly earned commissions of about $5,000. The Justice Department included photos of alleged sham marriage ceremonies submitted to U.S. immigration officials as part of the indictment.

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Foreign nationals paid facilitators as much as approximately $100,000 for assistance in obtaining a sham marriage and applying for a Green Card.

Prosecutors described how these ceremonies were sometimes held at restaurants, with the foreign nationals and U.S. citizens donning traditional wedding attire. Friends and family were invited to create the appearance of a legitimate wedding. While many recruiters operated in New York, the indictment claims they orchestrated marriages across the United States and even abroad, including locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Vanuatu, and China.

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In some cases, these sham wedding ceremonies were held at nearby restaurants, where the foreign nationals and United States citizens changed into traditional Chinese wedding attire, and the facilitator, recruiter, foreign national, and United States citizen invited friends and family to create the appearance of a legitimate wedding.