Nearly 100 Indicted, 50 In Custody After Ice Uncovers Large-Scale Marriage Fraud Scheme

Authorities indicted 96 people and arrested 50 for a marriage fraud operation allegedly taking place in Vietnam and Houston.

A months-long Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) probe uncovered a criminal operation that enabled numerous foreign nationals to fraudulently obtain legal immigration status in the U.S., according to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement press release Monday.

Under the alleged terms of conspiracy, immigrant beneficiaries would pay around $50,000 to $70,000 to get married and score permanent resident status. The marriages were complete shams, according to the April indictment.

The spouses typically met only briefly before they obtained their marriage licenses and did not live together after becoming a “married” couple. The criminal operation behind the marriages would go so far as to produce fake wedding albums and falsified tax, utility and employment information — all in an effort to convince USCIS to approve the forms.

WATCH: Houston faces $110M hit as Texas gov lays down law on ‘sanctuary’ policies

Left-wing activists heckle pro-Israel Democrat Haley Stevens at Michigan convention

Kash Patel files $250 million defamation lawsuit against the Atlantic over drinking allegations

Hawaii tourist charged with attempted murder, accused of stabbing veteran boat captain on snorkel tour

Law Professor: Blue States Taxing Fleeing Residents Are Like ‘Deranged Ex-Spouse In Denial’

Blue City Paradise: NYC Thugs Steal Elderly Women’s Car, Hit 72-Year-Old With Walker as They Make Their Getaway

Nancy Guthrie sheriff under pressure as petition demands access for United Cajun Navy

US military announces another deadly strike against ‘narco-terrorists’

DOJ demands 865K Detroit ballots, threatening possible legal action

GOP Senate hopeful Michele Tafoya accuses Walz, Ellison of ignoring Minnesota fraud scheme

NYPD investigating ‘reckless’ drag racing street takeover in Queens

Republicans Cline and Presler rally against Virginia redistricting vote

Pennsylvania man accused of stealing over 100 sets of human remains appears in court in ‘horror movie’ case

Survey finds nearly one-third of Long Island residents say Jews should ‘move on’ from the Holocaust

DOJ Reportedly Appealing Ruling That Limits Feds’ Ability to Use Notorious Spy Tool

“These arrests mark the culmination of a comprehensive yearlong multi-agency investigation into one of the largest alleged marriage fraud conspiracies ever documented in the Houston area,” Special HSI Agent in Charge Mark Dawson said in a Monday statement. “By working together with our partners from various federal law enforcement agencies, we have sent a resounding message that we are united in our effort to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations that seek to circumvent U.S. law by fraudulent means.”

The indictment alleges Ashley Yen Nguyen, 53, was the leader of the criminal scheme and had operatives working throughout Texas and Vietnam.

People involved in the conspiracy allegedly recruited U.S. citizens to act as marriage petitioners, who would then receive a cut of the proceeds from the beneficiary spouses. Several people who were recruited as petitioners eventually became recruiters themselves.

Marriage fraud or conspiracy to commit marriage fraud carries a sentence of up to five years in prison. The other charges — including mail fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and tampering with a witness, informant or victim — all carry the possibility of 20 years in federal prison. A federal grand jury returned the indictment on April 30.