Eleven people who resided in California were charged for their connection to the management of a large-scale marriage fraud "agency" that allegedly arranged hundreds of sham marriages to adjust immigration status, the Justice Department reported.
The indictment states that these individuals operated an “agency” that arranged hundreds of sham marriages between foreign “clients” and U.S. citizens. As part of the scheme, U.S. citizens were recruited to marry the agency’s clients in exchange for an upfront fee and monthly payments until after the marriage, to keep the U.S. citizens receptive and cooperative until the agency’s client obtained legal status.
The agency allegedly prepared and submitted false petitions, applications, and other documents to corroborate fraudulent marriages and secure adjustment of clients' immigration statuses for a fee of between $20,000 and $30,000 in cash.
One of those captured was Marcialito Biol Benítez, alias “Mars”, who along with his accomplices helped some clients, generally those whose spouses did not respond or cooperate, to obtain residency cards under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) by claiming that the undocumented clients had been abused by alleged American spouses.
“Marriage fraud is a serious crime that threatens the integrity of our nation’s legal immigration system,” said U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “These defendants” alleged exploitation of this system for profit is an affront to our nation’s tradition of welcoming immigrants and prospective citizens. Their alleged fraudulent behavior makes things difficult for the vast majority of immigrants who follow the law and respect our immigration system. Beyond that, by allegedly filing false applications claiming domestic abuse, these defendants caused further harm, this time to real victims and survivors of domestic violence.”.
The charges allege that the defendants arranged fraudulent marriages and submitted false immigration documents for at least 400 clients between October 2016 and March 2022. The charge of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
Joseph R. Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Boston, said: “We believe that their alleged scheme violated current immigration laws that serve to protect public safety and created a disadvantage for those seeking to obtain their citizenship legally.”.
Among the eleven defendants, six were of Filipino nationality, resided in the state of California, and one was Brazilian.
Information taken from: El Tiempo Latino, Department of Justice and United States Attorney's Office.