Six Massachusetts residents have been accused in an alleged marriage fraud operation that prosecutors say charged illegal immigrants in the United States up to $40,000 each to arrange sham marriages with U.S. citizens, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts said Oct. 21.
Jennifer Gonzalez, 43, of Fall River, allegedly led the operation for more than a decade, arranging approximately 18 to 20 fraudulent marriages annually and earning millions of dollars.
Also charged were Erica Daniels, 29; Chreise Alejandro, 39; Amara Pugh, 31; and Jaylin Hill, 26, all of Fall River, and Jessica Tavares, 31, of Attleboro. The charges include conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, harboring illegal aliens, conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and marriage fraud, prosecutors said.
Five defendants were arrested Oct. 21. Hill is serving a state prison sentence for a firearms offense, according to the Justice Department.
The attorneys listed on court documents as representing five of the defendants did not respond to an email seeking comment. Attorney Oscar Cruz Jr., who is representing Daniels, said in an email he had no comment.
“For more than a decade, hundreds of sham marriages were allegedly arranged in Massachusetts to fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship. Now, this alleged marriage fraud ring has been dismantled,” U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said Wednesday in a post on X.
“The fraudster even ‘stopped doing weddings at the end of 2024 when Trump was becoming President’ because they knew Trump would enforce the law.”
Prosecutors allege Gonzalez paid Daniels, Alejandro, Tavares, and Hill, all U.S. citizens, to marry customers seeking legal immigration status. Pugh, also a U.S. citizen, allegedly served as the operation’s secretary.
Gonzalez typically charged between $38,000 and $40,000 per marriage, prosecutors allege. She allegedly coached customers to create the appearance of legitimate relationships by opening joint bank accounts, establishing life insurance policies, and taking photographs together.
Prosecutors said Gonzalez told customers that preparing documentation for immigration applications would take three to four months.
During the investigation, Gonzalez was allegedly recorded directing the preparation and signing of a purported loan agreement and accepting a $3,000 cash down payment to arrange a sham marriage.
She allegedly told the customer that the agreement deliberately omitted references to the spouse because that would be “incriminating.” Customers also paid $500 a month to their spouse or someone close to that person, prosecutors said.
Gonzalez allegedly told a cooperating witness that Massachusetts was a favorable place for immigrants because of its protections for illegal immigrants as well as public assistance.
“Massachusetts is the best place for you to be. That is a fact,” she allegedly said in a recorded conversation.
Prosecutors also allegec that multiple defendants falsely reported on Massachusetts food assistance applications that they had never married while submitting federal immigration petitions for their sham spouses.
Gonzalez allegedly spent more than $120,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits while operating the marriage scheme and purchasing property in the Dominican Republic. Prosecutors said she was recorded discussing investments there using proceeds from her operation.
Prosecutors said the charges of harboring illegal aliens and conspiracy to do the same, come with a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charges of marriage fraud and conspiracy to do the same carry a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
