A major fake marriage ring has been busted in Massachusetts that was operating for decades, performing as many as 18 to 20 sham marriages every year, charging between $38,000 and $40,000 per marriage. These marriages were part of a larger Green Card fraud as spouses of US citizens are eligible to get family-based Green Cards. Leah Foley, the US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, announced that the scheme generated more than $6 million in profits over more than a decade. Jennifer Gonzalez, a US citizen, is the mastermind of the operation, who parked her money in the real estate sector of the Dominican Republic.Others charged in the racket include: Eric Daniels, Cherise Alejandro, Amara Pugh, Jessica Tavares and Jaylin Hill. Everyone except Gonzalez used to engage in one or more marriages — all to illegal immigrants — to get them documents to submit for Green Card applications.
‘American Dream is not for sale’
The sham weddings were recorded and there used to be regular payments to the US citizens to maintain the marriage status. After remaining married for a few years, they get divorced and then get married to new customers.“Ms Gonzalez got rich off selling the American Dream all the while investing her money in another country,” Foley said, detailing how Gonzalez allegedly used profits from the marriage ring to buy businesses and real estate in the Dominican Republic.Gonzales also directed her customers how to establish signsof a legitimate marriage throigh insurance policies, joint bank accounts.“My hope is that today the charged defendants and others like them realize that the American dream is not for sale, it is earned,” Foley said. “And when you try to pilfer it for profit, we will hold you accountable.”
What Gonzalez said in video recordings
“But also that’s when Trump was becoming a president . . ., and there was a lot of immigration powers ….under the new administration, immigration laws/proceedings are stricter,” “….we’re in a new government, things are a little bit more difficult….” she was recorded as saying.“…I believe that you you can okay, because this state is a sanctuary, like Trump doesn’t like this state because the government from here, the state defends us very much,” she once said.“Massachusetts is the best place for you to be. That is a fact.” “You get health insurance. Um, you get a lot of help as an immigrant here.”
