Prosecutors accuse Massachusetts woman of running 12-year sham marriage scheme

Federal prosecutors allege that Jennifer Gonzalez ran a sham marriage operation in Massachusetts, charging migrants up to $40,000 to marry US citizens and pursue green cards. The case matters because prosecutors say the scheme involved repeated, organised fraud over many years and could have generated millions of dollars.

According to a court affidavit, the operation arranged about 18 to 20 marriages a year for roughly 12 years, with customers also allegedly paying their fake spouses $500 a month. Gonzalez and five other women have been charged with marriage fraud, conspiracy, and offences relating to harbouring people unlawfully in the US; the allegations have not been proven in court.