BOSTON — Eleven folks had been indicted Thursday for allegedly arranging sham marriages and submitting fraudulent inexperienced card purposes to avoid immigration legal guidelines, Massachusetts U.S. Legal professional Rachael Rollins introduced.
Rollins mentioned the defendants, who stay in California, had been indicted on conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration doc fraud in reference to working a large-scale marriage fraud “company” in Los Angeles. Eight of them had been arrested in California and scheduled to look Thursday in federal courtroom there, then seem in Boston at a later date, Rollins added.
Rollins mentioned the fees stem from a whole bunch of sham marriages that had been organized between overseas nationwide “shoppers” and U.S. residents from 2016 till final month. One of many shoppers lived in Massachusetts.
The company allegedly ready and submitted false petitions, purposes and different paperwork to substantiate the sham marriages and safe adjustment of shoppers’ immigration statuses for a price of $20,000 to $30,000, Rollins added.
Six of the defendants are Philippine nationals dwelling in Los Angeles. One is from Brazil and the others are residents of Lancaster and Palmdale, California.
Rollins mentioned marriage fraud is a severe crime that threatens the integrity of the nation’s lawful immigration system. She mentioned the defendants did additional hurt by allegedly submitting false purposes claiming the shoppers had been abused by their alleged American spouses, so they might apply for lawful everlasting resident standing with out their spouses being concerned.