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.

‘Instead of Enforcing the Law’: Dem Connecticut Faces 2A Court Fight with Major Gun Maker for Banning Popular Pistol

Trans NYT Games executive killed after accusing in-laws of years of abuse amid bitter custody battle

Hollywood actress upset her son isn’t gay fumes in bizarre spectacle at Human Rights Campaign gala

Fed Up With Abuse, Holdout Clancy Juror Will Carry Out Aggressive Plan to Shut Up Killer’s Attorney

Republicans fear they ‘haven’t done a damn thing’ to lower prices ahead of midterm reckoning

FBI strikes back at hacking group with overseas arrest of alleged leader

Trump Administration Extradites Alleged Major Narco-Terrorist ‘The Spider’ to US to Face Charges

Jack Smith deputy advocated ‘repealing’ congressional protections prior to Jan. 6

AOC’s Trip Out of NYC Seen as a Hint at Her Aspirations for 2028

Rubio confirms ‘foreign actor’ involved in UK terror plot

Real winner of Xi summit revealed as Trump looks to usher in new era with China

Connecticut Homeowner Finds Himself in Cuffs After Opening Fire on Bear to Protect His Animals

Dick’s Sporting Goods Blocks Customers from Ordering Custom, Christian-Themed Water Bottles – Allows Islam

Jack Smith faces Senate grilling as Republicans press for criminal charges against him

Gaza refugee raised $13,000 on GoFundMe for alleged terrorist husband to enter US

“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.