Eleven New Yorkers have been charged in an alleged international immigration fraud scheme that arranged more than 1,000 sham marriages and collected tens of millions of dollars, federal prosecutors said.
The defendants were arrested on Wednesday, Aug. 12, after a two-count federal indictment was unsealed, according to the US Department of Justice. The network operated for more than a decade and arranged sham marriages between foreign nationals, primarily citizens of China, and US citizens to fraudulently obtain immigration status, prosecutors allege.
Those indicted include:
- Amy Cheng, also known as “Amy Zhou,” 72, of Brooklyn;
- Xiao Mei Chan, also known as “Carmen,” 64, of Queens;
- Christine Lu, also known as “Lily,” 52, of Queens;
- Jing Yan Ye, also known as “Serene,” 43, of Staten Island;
- Xiao Yan Chen, also known as “Anna,” 48, of Brooklyn;
- Gang Zheng, also known as “Michael” and “Mike,” 61, of Queens;
- Anthony Cheng, 47, of Staten Island;
- Michelle Duenas, 35, of Staten Island;
- Angela Duenas, 26, of Staten Island;
- Sigrid Cetino, 32, of Peekskill; and
- Erika Johnson, 43, of Ossining.
Some foreign nationals paid as much as $100,000 for a sham marriage and help obtaining lawful permanent resident status, commonly known as a Green Card, officials said. In exchange, participating US citizens could receive up to around $30,000, typically paid in installments as the immigration process reached certain milestones, according to the indictment…