FBI arrests 11 in alleged 1,000-marriage U.S. green card fraud scheme

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested 11 people accused of orchestrating a sprawling sham-marriage network that arranged over 1,000 fraudulent unions between American citizens and foreign nationals, mostly Chinese, to secure green cards illegally.

According to a report by Peoples Gazette, the scheme operated from 2016 to July 2026, generating tens of millions of dollars from foreign nationals seeking U.S. permanent residency. The Department of Justice said the defendants, arrested on August 12, ran the operation primarily out of New York City but extended activities to Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Vanuatu, and China.

Those charged include 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. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains, New York.

Prosecutors said foreign nationals paid facilitators up to $100,000 each for a sham marriage and green card assistance, while U.S. citizens who participated received as much as $30,000, and recruiters earned commissions of up to $5,000 per person recruited. Couples reportedly staged photos, opened joint accounts, and filed joint tax returns to make their unions appear genuine.

Each defendant faces conspiracy charges carrying maximum sentences of five and ten years respectively. U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald called it the largest marriage fraud scheme in American history, while Attorney General Todd Blanche vowed continued crackdowns on immigration fraud under the Trump administration.