U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services assisted in an investigation that led to a three-count federal indictment against 11 individuals accused of participating in marriage fraud and bribery conspiracies. According to the indictment, the group allegedly recruited U.S. citizens—preferably members of the armed forces—to enter into sham marriages with Chinese nationals seeking to bypass immigration laws and obtain lawful permanent resident status. The fraudulent marriages occurred in several states, including Florida, New York, Connecticut, and Nevada. To make the unions appear legitimate, the conspirators staged photographs and followed a payment structure in which U.S. citizen spouses were paid upfront, again upon approval of immigration benefits, and a final amount after divorce. Two defendants are additionally charged in connection with a sham marriage in Jacksonville in August 2024, and three individuals are accused of conspiring to bribe a public official. In related cases, four former U.S. Navy servicemembers have pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI, and USCIS, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. As with all indictments, the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.