A stunning federal indictment has blown the lid off an alleged transnational marriage fraud operation that prosecutors say specifically targeted United States military personnel in a scheme designed to infiltrate U.S. installations, evade immigration law, and unlawfully obtain lawful permanent resident status for foreign nationals.
According to federal authorities, 11 individuals have been charged in a three-count indictment involving conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and bribery, after allegedly orchestrating a nationwide operation that recruited American citizens, preferably members of the U.S. Armed Forces, to enter into fraudulent marriages with Chinese nationals seeking Green Cards.
Investigators say the sham marriages occurred across multiple jurisdictions, including Jacksonville, Florida, New York, Connecticut, and Nevada.
According to the indictment, the defendants conspired to establish a structured payment system in which U.S. citizen spouses would receive:
An upfront cash payment for entering the marriage
A second installment upon successful immigration status adjustment
A final payout following divorce after permanent residency was secured
To manufacture legitimacy, conspirators allegedly staged photo shoots of the couples to deceive officials with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) during the adjudication process.
Those charged with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud between March 2024 and February 2025, each facing a maximum penalty of up to five years in federal prison, include:
Anny Chen, 54, of New York. She is also charged with marriage fraud and bribery conspiracy, with a maximum of five years in prison for each guilty conviction.
Kiah Holly, 29, of Maryland.
Kin Man Cheok, 32, of China, who is also charged with bribery conspiracy between November 2024 and Feb. 14, 2025.
Hailing Feng, 27, of New York, who is also charged with bribery conspiracy.
Xionghu Fang, 41, of China.
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According to the indictment:
Anny Chen and Wang are charged additionally for a sham marriage that occurred in Jacksonville in August 2024.
In related cases, Raymond Zumba, Brinio Urena, Morgan Chambers, and Jacinth Bailey, former servicemembers in the United States Navy, have all pleaded guilty to charges related to the same scheme. Their sentencing hearings are pending.
The indictment also alleges that Anny Chen, Hailing Feng, and Kin Man Cheok conspired to bribe a public official. Specifically, in January 2025, a confidential source reported to law enforcement that Navy reservist Raymond Zumba (who has also already pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official) had offered to bribe the source and the source’s spouse who worked at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville in the personnel office that issues Department of Defense identification cards.
The source reported that Zumba asked whether the spouse would be willing to issue real, but unauthorized ID cards for an under-the-table payment.
Acting at the direction of federal agents, the source proceeded to engage in a series of communications with Zumba during which they discussed Zumba’s plan to obtain unauthorized ID cards in exchange for cash. After driving from New York, Zumba arrived in Jacksonville on February 13, 2025, with Anny Chen, Feng, and Cheok.
Zumba brought these individuals to NAS Jacksonville where the source’s spouse let them into the personnel office after business hours and initiated the process for Anny Chen and Cheok to receive ID cards.
The following day, Zumba met with the source, who gave him two cards in exchange for $3,500. Zumba was promptly arrested, and the cards were recovered.
“This investigation underscores the critical role that HSI plays in protecting our nation from transnational criminal organizations that seek to exploit our customs and immigration laws and threaten our national security,” said HSI Tampa acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Cochran.
“Through the dedication and expertise of our agents and partners, we have successfully investigated, disrupted and dismantled a sophisticated criminal network operating across borders.”
The post EXPOSED: Chinese Crime Ring BUSTED for Recruiting U.S. Service Members in Sham Marriages to Gain Base Access and Green Cards appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.