If convicted, the defendants face 10 years in prison.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged 11 people with allegedly helping foreign nationals, primarily Chinese nationals, to obtain green cards through a marriage fraud scheme, according to an indictment unsealed on Aug. 12.
The people behind the alleged scheme were all naturalized U.S. citizens originally from China and one green card holder, according to Attorney General Todd Blanche. The defendants have been charged with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration fraud, and conspiracy to encourage the unlawful residence of aliens in the United States.
“This is one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in United States history,” Blanche said during a press conference announcing the indictment. “This scheme was not a quick fly-by-night operation but rather a years-long multimillion-dollar cottage industry to criminally assist people who would not, or legally could not, otherwise become citizens of the United States.”
From at least 2016 to July 2026, the defendants were allegedly involved in a marriage fraud scheme that included approximately 1,000 sham marriages between Chinese nationals and U.S. citizens and the submission of fraudulent applications to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services requesting lawful permanent resident status for the foreign nationals, according to the 21-page indictment.
The DOJ said the defendants allegedly facilitated the marriage fraud scheme and paired foreign nationals seeking immigration status with U.S. citizens recruited by other scheme participants to partake in sham marriages, utilizing service providers—including attorneys, tax preparers, and officiants—to advance these sham marriages and submit fraudulent immigration applications to obtain lawful permanent residency for the foreign nationals.
The defendants allegedly “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 indictment said.
The indictment included photos of sham wedding ceremonies that the defendants submitted to immigration authorities.
