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Sham Marriages Used to Access Military Bases
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What the indictment alleges Federal prosecutors say an alleged transnational… |
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What the indictment alleges Federal prosecutors say an alleged transnational marriage fraud operation targeted U.S. citizens, with a preference for members of the military, to help foreign nationals get permanent residency. The indictment charges 11 people in three counts, accusing them of running a scheme that arranged sham marriages across Florida, New York, Connecticut, and Nevada. Officials say the ring set up staged photos and paperwork to fool immigration officers and used a stepwise payment plan to reward participants at each milestone. How the scheme reportedly worked Prosecutors describe a simple business model. Recruiters paid cash up front to U.S. citizens who agreed to marry a foreign national. A second payment came after the immigration status was adjusted. A final payout arrived after the couple divorced, once the foreign spouse had secured a green card. Investigators say the operation staged wedding shoots and supplied false evidence to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to make the marriages look real. The bribery plot and base access The indictment alleges the conspiracy did not stop at fake weddings. It claims conspirators tried to bribe a personnel official at Naval Air Station Jacksonville to obtain real, but unauthorized, Department of Defense ID cards. According…
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