Law enforcement stories

Aug 12, 2026

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

The Justice Department charged 11 people in connection with a decade-long immigration fraud scheme that allegedly arranged approximately 1,000 sham marriages between Chinese nationals and U.S. citizens to help the foreign nationals obtain legal immigration status and green cards.

Aug 12, 20264 sources

Top claims

▪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.
▪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.
▪The marriage fraud network utilized facilitators to oversee the operations, recruiters to find willing American citizens, and assistants to prepare immigration paperwork.

Subtopics

Organized crime Immigration & refugees U.S.-China relations Immigration policy

Related timelines