Evidence presented by federal prosecutors indicates that a photo of a staged wedding, taken around March 2025, was submitted to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as part of a green card application. On August 12, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the arrests of these 11 individuals, who are implicated in what prosecutors describe as one of the largest marriage fraud schemes in U.S. history. They face charges of facilitating fake marriages to assist primarily Chinese nationals in acquiring U.S. immigration status.
[People News] The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday (August 12) the arrest of 11 defendants connected to what prosecutors describe as one of the largest marriage fraud cases in U.S. history. The indictment, which was unsealed that day, alleges that the defendants orchestrated over 1,000 sham marriages over more than a decade to help primarily Chinese citizens secure U.S. immigration status.
According to a report by Voice of America, the indictment reveals that from at least 2016 until July 2026, the defendants orchestrated a nationwide and international marriage fraud scheme. This operation involved arranging sham marriages between foreign individuals, mainly citizens of the People's Republic of China, and U.S. citizens to fraudulently obtain green cards, which provide permanent resident status in the United States. While the network is primarily based in New York City, it extends across the United States and internationally, including locations such as Vanuatu and China.
The fake marriage network operates with a clear division of labor. Some members are tasked with coordinating and overseeing the scam while finding foreign clients; others recruit American citizens willing to participate in the scheme and ensure their ongoing involvement; some assist in preparing immigration documents and submitting green card applications. This network also relies on wedding officiants, lawyers, tax preparers, insurance providers, and other service providers.
According to the Department of Justice, the defendants paired foreign citizens with American citizens, who often met for the first time but immediately obtained marriage certificates, arranged fake weddings, and staged photos to demonstrate the legitimacy of the marriage. This included holding fake weddings in China and staging events, with these so-called marriage evidences submitted to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) during green card applications, as well as assisting the fake couples in navigating USCIS interviews.
The Department of Justice released photos of the fake weddings arranged by the defendants, which were included as evidence in the indictment.
The Department of Justice reported that in each instance of the fake marriage green card scam, foreign citizens paid approximately $100,000 to the scam coordinators. The coordinators then paid participating American citizens up to $30,000, with payments made in installments based on the progress of the green card application. They also paid commissions to those responsible for recruitment, offering about $5,000 for each American citizen recruited.
The indictment unsealed on Wednesday includes two charges: conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration document fraud, and conspiracy to encourage foreigners to remain in the U.S. illegally. All defendants are charged with these two counts, and if convicted, the maximum penalty for the first charge is five years in prison, while the second charge carries a penalty of 10 years in prison.
All 11 defendants are residents of New York State. They are:
◎ 72-year-old Amy Cheng (pinyin: 艾米． 鄭, also known as Amy Zhou);
◎ 64-year-old Xiao Mei Chan (pinyin: 陳曉梅, also known as Carmen);
◎ 52-year-old Christine Lu (pinyin: 克里斯汀． 陸, also known as Lily);
◎ 43-year-old Jing Yan Ye (pinyin: 葉景顏, also known as Serene);
◎ 48-year-old Xiao Yan Chen (pinyin: 陳曉燕, also known as Anna);
◎ 61-year-old Gang Zheng (pinyin: 鄭剛, also known as Michael and Mike);
◎ 47-year-old Anthony Cheng (pinyin: 安東尼．鄭);
◎ 35-year-old Michelle Duenas (pinyin: 米歇爾．杜埃尼亞斯);
◎ 26-year-old Angela Duenas (pinyin: 安吉拉．杜埃尼亞斯);
◎ 32-year-old Sigrid Cetino (pinyin: 西格麗德．塞蒂諾);
◎ 43-year-old Erika Johnson (pinyin: 艾麗卡．約翰遜).
The Department of Justice claims that the defendants and their accomplices recruited hundreds of U.S. citizens to take part in a fraudulent marriage scheme, leading to the submission of at least hundreds of false green card applications and their supporting documents to USCIS. Given the scale and duration of their activities, this network is believed to have amassed tens of millions of dollars from foreign nationals seeking U.S. green cards.
The current Department of Justice is actively working to eliminate fraud in various areas, including our immigration system," newly sworn-in Attorney General Todd Blanche stated in a Wednesday announcement. "Those arrested today are accused of orchestrating a meticulously crafted scheme aimed at illegally securing citizenship for foreign nationals through fraudulent marriages. Such schemes represent a deliberate violation of U.S. laws and will not be tolerated under the Trump administration."
In the announcement, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jamie McDonald remarked: "Today's arrests have dismantled a key element of one of the largest marriage fraud cases in American history. As indicated by this indictment, we will relentlessly collaborate with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who attempt to undermine and exploit our nation's legitimate immigration system."
"Any effort to gain legal immigration status through deceit, fraud, or theft poses a direct threat to the national security of the United States," said USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow in a statement.
John Condon, Acting Executive Deputy Director of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), added in a statement: "This decade-long scheme is alleged to have transformed marriage fraud into an international business model, facilitating numerous sham marriages and leading to the submission of hundreds of fraudulent green card applications to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services."
The statement from the Ministry of Justice notes that the indictment merely outlines the charges, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the court beyond a reasonable doubt.
Prior to the revelation of this major case, the federal prosecutor for the Middle District of Florida announced in February this year the indictment of 11 individuals, including several Chinese citizens. They are accused of participating in a conspiracy involving marriage fraud and bribery, recruiting American citizens—especially military personnel—to enter into fraudulent marriages with Chinese citizens to secure U.S. green cards.
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