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DOJ: Sham marriages arranged for green cards
The US Attorney's Office in Massachusetts released details on Wednesday of an alleged fraud ring accused of arranging "sham marriages" between US citizens and "illegal aliens" as a means of illegally obtaining a green card. US Attorney Leah Foley was joined by officials with Homeland Security and other federal agencies involved in the investigation.
Six people are accused of "selling the American dream" through a decade-long marriage fraud ring that helped immigrants obtain legal status in Massachusetts.
Federal authorities announced charges against a half-dozen people Wednesday, including the alleged ringleader.
Illegal marriage fraud ring
What they're saying:
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said ringleader Jennifer Gonzalez, 43, conducted as many as 20 sham marriages for immigrants to obtain legal status in the U.S. The five other people charged in connection with the fraud ring reportedly were paid by Gonzalez to take part in the marriages.
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"What an affront the alleged conduct revealed here today must be to those who play by the rules," Foley said. "To see a for-profit business whose sole purpose is helping people cheat and skip the line by simply paying for it must be so offensive and disheartening to those who follow our country’s laws."
Federal authorities announced charges against a half-dozen people who allegedly took part in a marriage fraud ring to help immigrants obtain legal status (Getty Images)
Foley said Gonzalez, an American citizen, used profits from the fraud ring to invest in businesses and real estate in the Dominican Republic. Gonzalez is also accused of spending $120,000 she received in SNAP, or food stamp, benefits. The other defendants are accused of committing housing and unemployment fraud.
"Ms. Gonzalez got rich off selling the American Dream all the while investing her money in another country," Foley said.
By the numbers:
Immigrants reportedly paid $38,000 - $40,0000 for each marriage, complete with wedding rings and photos of the bride and groom to make them look legitimate.
All six people face charges including harboring illegal aliens, conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and marriage fraud. None of the immigrants who entered into the marriages have been charged.
The other side:
An attorney for Gonzalez declined to comment to The Associated Press.
Crackdown on marriage fraud, immigration
Big picture view:
The arrests are part of the Trump administration’s larger crackdown on both legal and illegal immigration.
In August, 11 people were charged with participating in a multimillion-dollar scheme to help hundreds of Chinese nationals fraudulently obtain green cards through sham marriages to U.S. citizens. In that scheme, American citizens were paid as much as $30,000 to enter into bogus marriages with immigrants seeking lawful permanent resident status. The decade-long scheme netted tens of millions of dollars.
The Source: This report includes information from The Associated Press.