Six people are facing charges in connection with a conspiracy to arrange "hundreds of sham marriages" allowing illegal immigrants to obtain benefits including green cards and U.S. citizenship.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for Massachusetts said the alleged scheme to arrange fraudulent marriages went on for over a decade and generated six-million-dollars in profits. One suspect is already serving time on unrelated charges. The other five were arrested Wednesday morning.
The following individuals have been charged with conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens; harboring illegal aliens; conspiracy to commit marriage fraud; and marriage fraud:
Jennifer Gonzalez, 43, of Fall River, Mass.;
Erica Daniels, 29, of Fall River, Mass.;
Chreise Alejandro, 39), of Fall River, Mass.;
Amara Pugh, 31, of Fall River, Mass.;
Jessica Tavares, 31, of Attleboro, Mass.; and
Jaylin Hill, 26, of Fall River, Mass.
According to prosecutors, multiple defendants lied on Massachusetts SNAP benefit applications by falsely claiming to have never been married, even while filing federal immigration petitions on behalf of their sham spouses. Gonzalez allegedly spent over $120,000 that she received in SNAP benefits while she was running the sham marriage ring and buying property in the Dominican Republic
(Photo: US Attorney Office)