Washington — In a significant crackdown, the Justice Department has pressed criminal charges against 11 individuals on Wednesday, accusing them of orchestrating a complex “extensive marriage fraud scheme” that involved orchestrating over 1,000 fake marriages between Chinese nationals and U.S. citizens.
The allegations, outlined in a comprehensive 21-page indictment filed in the Southern District of New York, detail how this fraudulent operation was conducted over a decade from 2016 to 2026. Key figures named in facilitating this scheme include Amy Cheng, Xiao Mei Chan, and Gang Zheng.
According to the indictment, these arranged marriages were primarily designed to help Chinese nationals secure green cards, thereby gaining lawful residency in the United States.
The defendants reportedly capitalized on a network involving word of mouth, social media platforms, and various advertising methods to promote these fraudulent immigration services. Their primary clientele were citizens from the People’s Republic of China, whom they promised to match in fake marriages, thus facilitating fraudulent applications for permanent residency in the U.S.
The indictment further reveals that foreign nationals reportedly paid as much as $100,000 for assistance in entering into these sham marriages and applying for a Green Card. Meanwhile, the scheme facilitators allegedly profited handsomely, earning commissions reaching approximately $5,000 per arrangement.
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.