According to AFP, US Attorney General Todd Blanche said that this is one of the largest marriage fraud cases in US history, and emphasized that the US not only protects borders from illegal crossings but also prevents immigration fraud plots to evade the country's immigration law.
Mr. Blanche said that a foreigner can pay up to 100,000 USD to marry a fake American citizen, thereby being able to apply for a green card, allowing them to reside and work in the US.
US citizens participating in fake marriages can receive up to $30,000 to marry foreign citizens.
This is not a fleeting activity but a multi-year underground business worth millions of dollars, aimed at illegally supporting those who cannot or are not legally eligible to become US citizens," Mr. Blanche emphasized.
Among the 11 people arrested on the 12th, 8, 10 are Chinese-origin US citizens, while the other is a permanent resident (green card holder).
US prosecutor in South New York County Jamie McDonald said that the defendants and their unidentified accomplices had arranged more than 1,000 fake marriages in the past 10 years.
Mr. McDonald informed that the defendants recruited US citizens to participate in fake marriages, arranged weddings with full hosts, costumes, photographers and guests, thereby earning tens of millions of USD in a decade.
The defendants are prosecuted for conspiracy to commit marital fraud and immigration fraud, with a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, and conspiracy to encourage foreigners to reside illegally in the United States, with a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
