Federal prosecutors in Boston charged six people Wednesday with operating an alleged sham marriage ring for roughly a decade. Illegal aliens purportedly paid between $38,000 and $40,000 for each arranged wedding in an effort to gain legal immigration status.

Jennifer Gonzalez, 43, of Fall River, Massachusetts, allegedly operated the business and collected money from illegal aliens seeking arranged marriages. The U.S. District Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts announced the charges this week.

Court documents allege Gonzalez paid four U.S. citizens to marry one or more illegal alien customers. Those citizens were identified as Erica Daniels, 29; Chreise Alejandro, 39; Jessica Tavares, 31; and Jaylin Hill, 26.

Amara Pugh, 31, another U.S. citizen, allegedly served as the “secretary” for the marriage operation, federal officials said. Those arrested had not yet entered pleas.

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One neighbor told WJAR that residents had not suspected anything unusual despite the number of people visiting Gonzalez. “You wonder why so many people come and go; I never thought it would be that,” the neighbor said.

Gonzalez’s immigration status is unknown, but prosecutors labeled her a flight risk in court documents, citing her extensive ties to the Dominican Republic and resources to flee. The alleged operation reportedly generated hundreds of thousands of dollars annually for Gonzalez and her accomplices.

Federal officials also allege Gonzalez applied for and received approximately $124,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits while operating the alleged ring. Court documents cited video and audio recordings in which Gonzalez discussed the marriages with clients and promoted Massachusetts as a favorable location.

“…I believe that 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,” Gonzalez said in one recording, according to prosecutors. In another recording, she said, “Massachusetts is the best place for you to be. That is a fact.”

STUNNING: US Attorney Leah Foley sounds the alarm on green card marriage FRAUD, announcing six individuals charged in Massachusetts for participating in this scheme.

The ringleader made $6 MILLION during her 10 years of arranging sham marriages. Guess the 90-day fiancé plan doesn't work for everyone... — DeVory Darkins (@devorydarkins) October 21, 2026

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Gonzalez allegedly arranged around 20 sham marriages annually for 10 years. The defendants were charged with conspiracy to harbor illegal immigrants, harboring illegal immigrants, conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, and marriage fraud.

Each defendant faces up to 30 years in prison, years of supervised release, and fines reaching $1 million if sentenced to the maximum on all four counts. The Massachusetts prosecution is the latest federal case involving brokers accused of selling fraudulent marriages.

New York prosecutors charged 11 people in August with allegedly arranging more than 1,000 fake marriages over a decade, primarily for Chinese citizens. Some arrangements involved active duty soldiers, while certain illegal immigrants allegedly paid as much as $100,000 for one marriage.

Court records described brokers pairing clients with paid U.S. citizens, staging ceremonies, coaching couples for immigration interviews, completing fraudulent paperwork, and helping clients file it with federal authorities. The organizations also allegedly supplied fake wedding photographs and arranged divorces after green cards were issued.

“This Department of Justice is rooting out fraud everywhere — including in our immigration system,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said when the New York charges were filed. “The individuals who were arrested today allegedly orchestrated elaborate schemes to illegally obtain citizenship for foreign nationals through sham marriages. Schemes like this are a deliberate affront to the United States and our laws and will not be tolerated under the Trump Administration.”

In Jacksonville, Florida, another 11 people were federally indicted earlier this year for allegedly pairing Chinese nationals with U.S. Navy sailors. A Navy reservist was accused of attempting to bribe a personnel office employee to issue unauthorized Department of War identification cards, leading to a sting operation in February 2025.

A California ring broken up in 2022 had allegedly charged between $20,000 and $30,000 per wedding. Ringleader Marcialito Benitez received 22 months in prison, while Engilbert Ulan received 14 months and Juanita Pacson and Nino Valmeo received supervised release after guilty pleas.

Benitez’s organization also helped some clients seek green cards by falsely claiming spousal abuse under the Violence Against Women Act. The federal government is investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., over allegations that she married her brother while filing joint taxes with her first husband to help her brother obtain a green card.

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