Marriage Fraud Scheme
First Reported May 13, 2019
In Houston, TX, 50 individuals have been apprehended in connection with a 206-count indictment, unveiling their alleged involvement in a widespread marriage fraud operation. U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick, Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and District Director Tony Bryson of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) made the announcement.
The extensive indictment, returned by a federal grand jury on April 30, 2019, charged 96 individuals. Half of them are in custody, with nine scheduled for a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Johnson today.
As of now, the identities of those charged but not yet in custody remain sealed. The arrests signify the conclusion of a year-long, collaborative, multi-agency investigation into one of the most significant alleged marriage fraud schemes documented in the Houston area, according to Dawson. The joint efforts of various federal law enforcement agencies send a clear message of unity against criminal organizations attempting to bypass U.S. law through fraudulent means.
The investigation focused on a suspected criminal organization operating a large-scale marriage fraud scheme. The illicit operation involved orchestrating sham marriages to unlawfully secure admission and immigrant status for individuals in the United States, as outlined in the indictment.
Vietnamese Organization Arranges Marriages of Convenience
The indictment names Ashley Yen Nguyen, also known as Duyen, aged 53 and residing in Houston, as the alleged head of the organization based in Southwest Houston, with associates operating in Texas and Vietnam.
Tony Bryson emphasized the seriousness of marriage fraud as a crime and highlighted the success of collaborative efforts with law enforcement and intelligence partners in investigating such cases. USCIS remains committed to national security, public safety, and the integrity of the immigration system.
The sham marriages in question were marriages of convenience, entered into primarily to circumvent immigration laws. According to the charges, the spouses involved did not cohabit and had no intention of doing so, contrary to statements submitted to USCIS. The marriages were allegedly based on financial arrangements to sidestep U.S. immigration laws.
Pay-for-play Marriages Cost up to $70k
The charges detail agreements between beneficiary spouses and Duyen, involving payments ranging from $50,000 to $70,000 for full lawful permanent resident status. These agreements were allegedly prorated based on additional immigration benefits received.
Additionally, Duyen and others recruited U.S. citizens to act as petitioners in sham marriages, receiving a share of the proceeds from beneficiary spouses. Some recruited petitioners later became recruiters themselves. Others were allegedly responsible for handling the proceeds and disbursing payments to petitioners.
The indictment also accuses individuals of acting as guides for U.S. citizen petitioners who traveled to Vietnam under the guise of meeting their fiancés but were, in reality, beneficiary spouses paying the criminal organization to evade U.S. law.
Elaborate Deep Fake Wedding Ceremonies, Photographs, and Jobs
The criminal organization allegedly created fake wedding albums, provided to petitioners and beneficiary spouses, featuring photographs to falsely depict elaborate wedding ceremonies. The indictment further claims that false tax, utility, and employment information were supplied to ensure approval of fraudulent immigration forms by USCIS.
Attorney Trang Le Nguyen, also known as Nguyen Le Thien Trang, aged 45 and residing in Pearland, is indicted for obstructing and impeding the due administration of justice and tampering with a witness, victim, or informant. The indictment alleges that Nguyen prepared the paperwork for at least one fraudulent marriage and advised a witness to go into hiding, avoid air travel that could alert federal law enforcement, and withhold further information from law enforcement.
Conspiracy, Mail Fraud, Witness Tampering is 10-20 Years in Prison
The charges encompass various offenses, including marriage fraud, mail fraud, immigration fraud, false statements under oath, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and tampering with a witness, victim, or informant.
The potential penalties for conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, and tampering with a witness, victim, or informant include a maximum 20-year federal prison sentence. Convictions for conspiracy to commit marriage fraud or marriage fraud could lead to up to five years in prison, while other charges carry a maximum possible 10-year terms of federal imprisonment.
The investigation was conducted by HSI and USCIS, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Laurence Goldman, Michael Day, and Kate Suh prosecuting the case.
It is crucial to note that an indictment serves as an accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty through due process of law.
Click here for the original article at Justice.gov – U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas