Overview
- The unsealed case charges 11 defendants with a conspiracy to recruit U.S. citizens, preferably service members, into fraudulent marriages and a separate conspiracy to bribe for Defense Department common access cards.
- Four U.S. Navy members previously pleaded guilty in the broader probe, bringing the total charged to 15, with sentencings pending.
- Investigators say the operation ran from March 2024 to February 2025 across New York, Connecticut, Las Vegas and Jacksonville, using receptions and photo evidence to simulate real relationships.
- Prosecutors describe a tiered payment model of about $10,000 at the wedding, roughly $20,000 upon green card approval and $5,000 at divorce, averaging around $35,000 per arranged marriage.
- About $3,500 was paid in the CAC scheme at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, leading to an arrest, and most defendants are now in custody as investigators examine possible foreign direction.