00:00Today we are announcing the arrests and unsealing of an indictment out of the Southern District of
00:05New York, charging 11 individuals for allegedly overseeing an extensive, decade-long marriage
00:13fraud scheme involving more than 1,000 sham marriages between Chinese nationals and United
00:19States citizens, and then the submission of fraudulent applications for green cards.
00:25This is one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in United States history.
00:30This scheme was not a quick fly-by-night operation, but rather a years-long, multi-million-dollar
00:37cottage industry to criminally assist people who would not, or legally could not, otherwise
00:43become citizens of the United States.
00:46The men and women who facilitated this scheme were all naturalized citizens originally from
00:52China and one green card holder.
00:55Under President Trump's leadership, the Department of Justice is working alongside our partners
01:00at DHS to secure the border and protect American communities, something that was ignored during
01:07the last administration.
01:09Not only are we protecting our physical borders from unlawful crossings, but we are also preventing
01:14immigration fraud schemes that are just another way to skirt the immigration laws of the United
01:20States.
01:20As alleged, some of the charged defendants acted as facilitators who orchestrated the marriage
01:27fraud scheme pairing foreign nationals seeking immigration status with United States citizens
01:35willing to participate and engage in a sham marriage.
01:38These facilitators employed attorneys, tax preparers, and marriage officiants.
01:46Some of the other charged defendants acted as recruiters by finding and recruiting United States
01:52citizens to participate in the scheme.
01:54And other defendants acted as officiants, officiating dozens of these alleged fake marriages.
02:03Now, the way that this scheme allegedly worked is the facilitators used social media and other
02:10forms of advertising to market fraudulent immigration services to foreign nationals, primarily from
02:16China.
02:16China.
02:17And Chinese nationals would pay these facilitators as much as $100,000 for assistance in obtaining
02:23a marriage, which then allowed them to apply for a green card.
02:28The facilitators also paid willing U.S. citizens as much as $30,000 to engage in the sham marriage
02:34with the foreign national.
02:36Now, often after these phony ceremonies, defendants would stage images of families at restaurants
02:44to create the appearance of a legitimate wedding.
02:47And some of the defendants also facilitated sham marriages overseas in China.
02:53After the marriages took place, the actual ceremony, the then married couples would visit a local
03:00office affiliated with the scheme, sign forms for submission to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
03:06Services, learn about the USCIS interview process to apply for a green card, and then execute
03:13prenuptial agreements, which, not surprisingly, given the allegation these were sham marriages,
03:21waived their rights to share in the other's estate upon death, child support, and other claims
03:27in marital property.
03:28One prenuptial agreement even provided that, and I'm quoting from the indictment, except
03:34in the name of husband and wife, both parties live independently and must not interfere with
03:40each other, end quote.
03:42The facilitators of the scheme would then prepare and submit fraudulent green card applications
03:47and work with the couples through the immigration process, submitting photographs, opening joint bank
03:54accounts, mobile phone accounts, all to obtain green cards to allow them to stay in this country.
04:01But that's illegal.
04:04These charges and the indictments now unsealed, they show how far people will go to cheat our
04:09immigration system.
04:10Gaining American citizenship and legal status to reside in this great nation is a sacred privilege,
04:17and we will ensure it is always done in accordance with the law protecting our communities and
04:23national security.
