US charges 11 in decade-long sham marriage scheme involving 1,000 Chinese nationals

On August 12, 2026, the U.S. Justice Department charged 11 individuals for orchestrating a massive, decade-long marriage fraud scheme that arranged over 1,000 sham marriages to help Chinese nationals secure green cards. Operating from 2016 to 2026, the network charged clients up to $100,000, staged elaborate wedding ceremonies, and coached couples for immigration interviews. Attorney General Todd Blanche called the multimillion-dollar operation one of the largest marriage fraud cases in U.S. history.

Marriage fraud scheme charges

• ▪The 11 defendants charged in the federal indictment are Amy Cheng, Xiao Mei Chan, Christine Lu, Jing Yan Ye, Xiao Yan Chen, Gang Zheng, Anthony Cheng, Michelle Duenas, Angela Duenas, Sigrid Cetino, and Erika Johnson.
• ▪On August 12, 2026, the U.S. Justice Department unsealed a 21-page indictment in the Southern District of New York charging 11 individuals with orchestrating a decade-long marriage fraud scheme.
• ▪U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald stated that the investigation into the marriage fraud network began after prosecutors uncovered a communication in an unrelated case.
• ▪The 11 defendants face federal charges of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, immigration document fraud, and conspiracy to encourage the unlawful residence of aliens in the United States.

Scheme operational structure

• ▪The fraudulent marriages were arranged across multiple U.S. states, including New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida, as well as in Vanuatu and China.
• ▪The marriage fraud network utilized facilitators to oversee the operations, recruiters to find willing American citizens, and assistants to prepare immigration paperwork.
• ▪The New York City-based marriage fraud scheme operated from at least 2016 through July 2026 and arranged more than 1,000 sham marriages between Chinese nationals and U.S. citizens.

Financial payments involved

• ▪Recruiters in the marriage fraud network received commissions of up to $5,000 for each U.S. citizen they successfully recruited to participate.
• ▪U.S. citizens who participated in the sham marriages were paid up to $30,000, with payments mostly structured in installments tied to green card application milestones.
• ▪Chinese nationals paid facilitators up to $100,000 to participate in the sham marriages and apply for U.S. green cards.
• ▪U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald stated that the marriage fraud network generated tens of millions of dollars over its decade-long operation.

Immigration fraud methods

• ▪The defendants prepared joint bank and cellphone accounts, coached couples ahead of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services interviews, and arranged divorces once green cards were obtained.
• ▪To make the sham marriages appear legitimate to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the defendants staged wedding ceremonies at restaurants with traditional Chinese wedding attire, photographers, and guests.
• ▪Couples participating in the marriage fraud scheme executed prenuptial agreements that waived their rights to share in each other's estates upon death.

Trump administration enforcement context

• ▪In February 2026, federal authorities charged 11 people in a separate marriage fraud scheme that recruited U.S. military service members to marry Chinese citizens.
• ▪The charges follow an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in August 2026 aimed at restricting 'birth tourism' following a Supreme Court ruling on citizenship rights.
• ▪The U.S. State Department announced on August 12, 2026, that it has initiated a review of visa holders' activities to crack down on individuals traveling to the U.S. solely to obtain citizenship for their children.

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