NEW YORK — The Justice Department unveiled criminal charges against 11 people on Wednesday in connection with an alleged decade-long scheme involving more than 1,000 sham marriages between Chinese nationals and U.S. citizens. The indictment states the alleged sham marriages were arranged to help Chinese nationals obtain green cards in the United States.

The 21-page indictment was secured in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Amy Cheng, Xiao Mei Chan, and Gang Zheng are named as defendants who facilitated the alleged scheme. Attorney General Todd Blanche described the case as one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in United States history.

"This scheme was not a quick fly-by-night operation, but rather a yearslong, multi-million-dollar cottage industry to criminally assist people who would not or legally could not otherwise become citizens of the United States," Blanche said. The indictment alleges the marriage scheme operated from 2016 to 2026.

According to the charging document, the defendants used word of mouth, social media, and various forms of advertising to market fraudulent immigration services to foreign nationals, primarily citizens of the People's Republic of China. Foreign nationals paid facilitators as much as approximately $100,000 for assistance in obtaining a sham marriage and applying for a Green Card. Facilitators of the arrangements allegedly made a commission of about $5,000.

American citizens were paid as much as $30,000 to enter into bogus marriages with immigrants seeking lawful permanent resident status. Officials stated the defendants brought in tens of millions of dollars over the course of the decade-long scheme. The indictment included photos of alleged sham marriage ceremonies that prosecutors said the defendants submitted to U.S. immigration officials.

In some cases, sham wedding ceremonies were held at nearby restaurants where participants changed into traditional Chinese wedding attire and invited friends and family to create the appearance of a legitimate wedding. The indictment alleges recruiters operated in New York and orchestrated marriages throughout the United States and abroad, including in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Vanuatu, and the People's Republic of China.

Why It Matters

Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that these schemes have real cost and rob the country of its ability to know who should be and who should not be allowed in America. The scale of the alleged operation, involving over 1,000 marriages and tens of millions of dollars, represents a significant breach of immigration integrity protocols.

Todd Wallace Blanche is the 88th United States attorney general, having served in an acting capacity from April 2026 and confirmed in August. His administration has pursued multiple actions related to national security and immigration enforcement during this period.

Timeline

Earlier coverage on 2026-06-04 reported that a US journalist pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal agent for China. On 2026-06-05, earlier coverage reported that a US journalist pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal agent for China. The Justice Department published a notice titled Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed eCollection eComments Requested; New Information Collection; USAO-PR COMMUNITY OUTREACH REQUEST FORM Feedback Form Package on 2026-08-12.

What's New

PureSource News previously reported that the Justice Department opened a compliance review into Harvard University China-based aid programs. Additional reporting indicates that American citizens were paid as much as $30,000 to enter into bogus marriages with immigrants seeking lawful permanent resident status. Officials stated the defendants brought in tens of millions of dollars over the course of the decade-long scheme.

Attorney General Todd he stated, "These schemes have real cost. They rob our country of its ability to know who should be and who should not be allowed in America." The Justice Department published a notice titled Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed eCollection eComments Requested; New Information Collection; USAO-PR COMMUNITY OUTREACH REQUEST FORM Feedback Form Package on 2026-08-12. New York is state of the United States of America.