The Homeland Security Task Force (HSI) in Jacksonville is targeting a Chinese transnational criminal organization that was recruiting American military members to help them commit marriage fraud and ensure Chinese nationals access to military bases and U.S. residency.
This scheme represents not only crime, but a serious national security threat. There were U.S. military members willing to compromise military installations’ security in order to obtain Chinese money, and who knows why those particular Chinese nationals wanted access to bases? And are there multiple transnational organizations with similar schemes?
ICE announced the three-count indictment of eleven people from the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Florida in a Feb. 11 press release. The charges are marriage fraud conspiracy, marriage fraud, and bribery conspiracy.
“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.”
Jacksonville, Fla., was not the only place where the military members agreed to the sham marriages. The arranged weddings also occurred in New York, Connecticut, Nevada, and other states.
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The ICE press release said:
According to the indictment, the organization allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to recruit U.S. citizens, preferably members of the armed forces, to enter sham marriages to Chinese nationals for the purpose of evading immigration laws and illicitly obtaining lawful permanent resident status for the Chinese nationals. …To create the illusion of a real marriage, the conspirators took photographs of the couples to create evidence that could be presented to immigration authorities to suggest that the marriages were legitimate, and the couples were in loving, committed relationships. In reality, the conspirators had agreed to a payment plan whereby the U.S. citizen spouse would receive a cash payment up front for marrying the Chinese national, a second payment when legal immigration status was obtained, and a final payment after the divorce.
The first round of arrests in relation to the scheme occurred Feb. 3. ICE released the names of five charged with marriage conspiracy fraud — Anny Chen, Hailing Feng, Kiah Holly, Xionghu Fang, and Kin Man Cheok — and former U.S. service members Raymond Zumba, Morgan Chambers, Brinio Urena, and Jacinth Bailey.
Furthermore, Chen, Feng, Zumba, and Cheok also conspired to bribe a public official. It turns out the official Zumba meant to bribe was working with the feds:
[Zumba] offered to bribe the source and the source’s spouse, who worked at Naval Air Station Jacksonville in the personnel office that issues Department of War 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.
The feds let Zumba go through with his illegal transaction before arresting him. HSI has now exposed the dangerous operation.
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