Justice Department Charges Six in Massachusetts Multimillion-Dollar Marriage Fraud Ring
Federal prosecutors charged six people on October 21 in an alleged marriage-fraud scheme that arranged hundreds of sham marriages over more than a decade and generated more than $6 million in profits.
Tommy Flynn
The Justice Department charged six Massachusetts residents Wednesday with operating a marriage-fraud ring that arranged sham marriages to help noncitizens obtain immigration benefits. Alleged ringleader Jennifer Gonzalez, 43, of Fall River, and five others face charges of marriage fraud, conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, and harboring aliens.
Prosecutors said the operation ran for more than a decade and arranged roughly 18 to 20 marriages a year. Noncitizens paid $38,000 to $40,000 per marriage. Gonzalez allegedly paid some of the other defendants to participate in the ceremonies and collected ongoing monthly payments in some cases. Court documents state the scheme generated more than $6 million in profits.
Five defendants were arrested Wednesday; one is already serving a state prison sentence on unrelated charges. U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said Gonzalez used proceeds to invest in businesses and real estate in the Dominican Republic and that the investigation remains open. The charges also reference additional alleged fraud involving public benefits.
The case is the latest federal action against sham-marriage schemes used to circumvent immigration laws. Similar prosecutions have targeted networks facilitating status for foreign nationals through fraudulent unions.
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley for @DMANews1: "The alleged mastermind behind this marriage fraud scheme is Jennifer Gonzales, a United States citizen who was allegedly responsible for fraudulently arranging sham marriages in Massachusetts for over a decade. Gonzales allegedly charged between $38,000 and $40,000 per marriage and arranged 18 to 20 sham marriages per year for over 10 years. On the low end, this conspiracy netted her $6 MILLION during the course of the alleged scam."
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) October 21, 2026
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