Washington — The Justice Department on Wednesday announced criminal charges against 11 people accused of taking part in what prosecutors described as an “extensive marriage fraud scheme” involving more than 1,000 alleged sham marriages between Chinese nationals and U.S. citizens.
According to the 21-page indictment filed in the Southern District of New York, the alleged operation ran from 2016 to 2026 and was facilitated by defendants Amy Cheng, Xiao Mei Chan and Gang Zheng.
Prosecutors said the marriages were arranged to help Chinese nationals fraudulently obtain green cards and lawful permanent resident status in the United States.
The defendants allegedly promoted the services through word of mouth, social media and other advertising, targeting foreign nationals — primarily citizens of the People’s Republic of China — by offering to arrange fraudulent marriages tied to immigration applications, the indictment said.
“Foreign nationals paid facilitators as much as approximately $100,000 for assistance in obtaining a sham marriage and applying for a Green Card,” prosecutors alleged. Those who helped broker the arrangements were said to have received commissions of about $5,000.
The indictment also included images of purported sham wedding ceremonies that prosecutors said were submitted to U.S. immigration authorities as part of the applications.
Justice Department
In some instances, the indictment said, the staged ceremonies took place at nearby restaurants, where the foreign nationals and U.S. citizens changed into traditional Chinese wedding clothing while facilitators, recruiters, friends and family helped create the appearance of an authentic celebration.
Although many of the recruiters were based in New York, prosecutors alleged the marriages were arranged across the United States and overseas, including in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Vanuatu and the People’s Republic of China.
