A three-count indictment was unsealed following a federal investigation, charging eleven individuals in connection with alleged marriage fraud and bribery conspiracies, according to U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. According to the US Department of Justice, the defendants are suspected of arranging sham marriages to circumvent immigration laws and obtain permanent resident status for specific Chinese nationals, which allegedly involved recruiting US citizens to join under false pretenses.
The indictment, covering offenses from March 2024 to February 2025, includes individuals from New York, Maryland, Florida, and China. Anny Chen, 54, of New York, and others have been charged with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, which carries a maximum punishment of five years in jail. In addition, Chen and Linlin Wang, 38, of China, are charged with marriage fraud in connection with an incident on August 31, 2024.
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As part of the alleged conspiracy, the defendants reportedly took photographs of the fraudulent couples to give immigration authorities the appearance of legitimacy, and they arranged payment plans for the U.S. citizens involved, contingent on the Chinese nationals obtaining legal status and completing a divorce. Authorities claim that the operation extended to several states, including Jacksonville, New York, Connecticut, and Nevada.
Additional bribery indictments resulted from a separate but related issue. Anny Chen, Hailing Feng, and Kin Man Cheok are charged with conspiring to bribe a public officer in connection with the issuance of unlawful identification cards at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. According to the indictment, a confidential source alleged that Navy reservist Raymond Zumba offered to bribe both the source and his husband, who worked at the facility. After traveling to Jacksonville with the three other accomplices to obtain the IDs, a sting operation captured Zumba.
The investigation was carried out collaboratively by Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Four former service personnel have pled guilty to related offenses, and sentencing is pending. An indictment does not constitute a conviction, and all defendants are deemed innocent unless proven guilty. David Mesrobian and Michael J. Coolican, Assistant United States Attorneys, are prosecuting the case.
