The defendants executed the fraud by pairing foreign nationals with U.S. citizens. The individuals would often meet for the first time immediately before obtaining a marriage license, arranging sham wedding ceremonies, and staging photographs designed to make those marriages appear legitimate. “This Department of Justice is rooting out fraud everywhere — including in our immigration system,” said @AGToddBlanche. “The individuals who were arrested today allegedly orchestrated elaborate schemes to illegally obtain citizenship for foreign nationals through sham marriages. Schemes like this are a deliberate affront to the United States and our laws and will not be tolerated under the Trump Administration.” Read more:

The Justice Department has announced the arrest of individuals involved in a scheme to obtain U.S. citizenship through sham marriages. These marriages were allegedly arranged to defraud the immigration system and will not be tolerated.