Full Breakdown
Nationwide Marriage Fraud Scheme Dismantled in New York
8/14/2026, 12:30:37 AM
Indictment and Arrests of 11 Defendants
Federal prosecutors unsealed a two-count indictment charging eleven individuals with conspiring over more than a decade to arrange over 1,000 sham marriages. The scheme was designed to secure U.S. lawful permanent residence for foreign nationals—primarily citizens of the People’s Republic of China—by pairing them with U.S. citizens who received up to $30,000 each for participating. Arrests were made in New York boroughs and surrounding counties. The defendants are:
- Amy Cheng (aka “Amy Zhou”), Brooklyn
- Xiao Mei Chan (aka “Carmen”), Queens
- Christine Lu (aka “Lily”), Queens
- Jing Yan Ye (aka “Serene”), Staten Island
- Xiao Yan Chen (aka “Anna”), Brooklyn
- Gang Zheng (aka “Michael” and “Mike”), Queens
- Anthony Cheng, Staten Island
- Michelle Duenas, Staten Island
- Angela Duenas, Staten Island
- Sigrid Cetino, Peekskill
- Erika Johnson, Ossining
Each faces one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration fraud (maximum five years) and one count of conspiracy to encourage unlawful residence of aliens (maximum ten years).
Background & Context
The indictment says the network operated from at least 2016 through 2026, with a base in New York City and extensions into Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Vanuatu and China. Facilitators identified foreign-national clients, recruiters enlisted willing U.S. citizens, and assistants prepared fraudulent immigration paperwork. The operation also employed marriage officiants, attorneys, tax preparers and insurance providers to give the sham unions a veneer of legitimacy.
Data & Statistics
- Sham marriages: >1,000 alleged arrangements
- Foreign-national fees: up to $100,000 per marriage
- U.S. citizen payments: up to $30,000 per participant, paid in milestones
- Recruiter commissions: up to $5,000 per recruited citizen
- Total proceeds: “tens of millions of dollars” collected over the decade, according to prosecutors
Official Statements & Responses
U.S. Director Joseph B. Edlow said, “Anyone willing to lie, cheat or steal their way to legal immigration status is a direct threat to America's national security.” U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald added, “Today’s arrests have dismantled a central component of one of the largest marriage fraud schemes charged in United States history.”
What’s Next
The eleven defendants are scheduled to be arraigned in White Plains later this week. Prosecutors indicated that the case will proceed under the supervision of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jake Sidransky and Reyhan Watson. If convicted, each defendant faces up to ten years in federal prison.
