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.

FL Voters Boot Cory Mills, the GOP Rep. Who Helped Keep Ilhan Omar from Being Stripped of Her Committee Assignments

The last January 6 case? Former DC police officer fighting conviction over contact with ex-Proud Boys leader

Trump urged to stop targeting fellow Republicans as GOP fights to keep majority

Biden admin released illegal immigrant accused of fatally stabbing Fairfax County mother

Freedom 250 Grand Prix preview: What to know if you’re attending the fastest weekend in DC

Misleading polls fuel socialist hopes that come crashing down on Election Day

CBP officers seize nearly 850 pounds of khat packed into 12 suitcases after flight from London

Alina Habba shuts down speculation she could replace Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary

Pennsylvania State Police helicopter, small plane collide in midair, killing 1 and injuring 2 state troopers

Missouri judge hands Trump, GOP major redistricting win ahead of midterm elections

Idaho county probation officers compile ‘foreign-born list’ to hand over to ICE as critics raise alarms

Chinese national in blue state charged with illegally voting in federal election under another man’s name: DOJ

Parents seek six figures from surrogate who refused abortion after baby’s heart diagnosis: report

WNBA Subreddit Bans Fans from Even Mentioning Sophie Cunningham After Her Defense of Women’s Sports

Man Once Given ‘Outstanding Refugee’ Award by Minnesota Charged in Massive Medicaid Fraud Scheme

“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.