Get you up to speed: U.S. charges 11 for alleged sham marriage scheme to help Chinese nationals gain green cards
The Justice Department charged 11 individuals, including Amy Cheng, Xiao Mei Chan, and Gang Zheng, in New York’s Southern District for their involvement in a marriage fraud scheme allegedly involving over 1,000 sham marriages between Chinese nationals and U.S. citizens. The indictment claims the fraudulent marriages, which aimed to assist Chinese nationals in obtaining U.S. green cards, occurred from 2016 to 2026 and involved substantial payments for immigration services.
The indictment, secured in New York’s Southern District, spans activities from 2016 to 2026, with facilitators reportedly earning commissions of around £5,000 for each arranged sham marriage. The Justice Department’s investigation has revealed that the scheme involved orchestrating sham marriages not only in New York but also across multiple states including Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Florida, as well as internationally in the People’s Republic of China.
The Justice Department’s indictment underlines a significant crackdown on widespread marriage fraud, with 11 individuals charged for facilitating over 1,000 sham marriages to aid Chinese nationals in obtaining U.S. green cards. Officials have indicated that further investigations are underway, and additional legal actions may follow as the case progresses through the courts.
What remains unclear — The Justice Department has not disclosed the specific identities or roles of all 11 individuals charged in the case.
U.S. charges 11 in alleged marriage fraud scheme aiding Chinese nationals
Washington — The Justice Department unveiled criminal charges against 11 people on Wednesday, alleging they participated in an “extensive marriage fraud scheme” that involved more than 1,000 “sham marriages” between Chinese nationals and U.S. citizens.
The 21-page indictment, secured in New York’s Southern District, alleged that the marriage scheme ran from 2016 to 2026, and was facilitated by defendants Amy Cheng, Xiao Mei Chan and Gang Zheng.
The alleged sham marriages were arranged to help assist Chinese nationals obtain green cards in the United States, the indictment said.
The defendants “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,” according to the indictment.
“Foreign nationals paid facilitators as much as approximately $100,000 for assistance in obtaining a sham marriage and applying for a Green Card,” it added. Facilitators of the arrangements, meanwhile, allegedly made a commission of about $5,000.
The indictment included photos of alleged sham marriage ceremonies that prosecutors said the defendants submitted to U.S. immigration officials.
Justice Department 
“In some cases, these sham wedding ceremonies were held at nearby restaurants, where the foreign nationals and United States citizens changed into traditional Chinese wedding attire, and the facilitator, recruiter, foreign national, and United States citizen invited friends and family to create the appearance of a legitimate wedding,” the indictment said.
While many of the recruiters operated in New York, the indictment alleged they orchestrated the marriages throughout the United States and abroad, in places such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Vanuatu, and the People’s Republic of China.