DOJ charges 11 in nationwide sham-marriage fraud crackdown

The Justice Department charged 11 people in a nationwide scheme involving more than 1,000 sham marriages used to help foreign nationals gain U.S. immigration status, with operations from 2016–2026 across several states and overseas. Facilitators allegedly paid Americans about $30,000 per case and recruiters about $5,000, while foreign nationals paid roughly $100,000 to arrange and document fraudulent green-card filings. The defendants face conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration fraud (up to 5 years) and conspiracy to encourage unlawful residence (up to 10 years). The arrests reflect a broader federal push to curb immigration fraud amid national-security concerns.