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Federal prosecutors allege Fall River woman led decade-long marriage fraud operation
Six Massachusetts residents are accused of arranging marriages to help immigrants obtain green cards and taking in at least $6 million over roughly a decade. Five were arrested Wednesday; prosecutors say the investigation is continuing.
Federal prosecutors say six Massachusetts residents ran a marriage-fraud operation for about a decade, arranging marriages with immigrants seeking green cards and collecting at least $6 million in the process.
Jennifer Gonzalez of Fall River is identified as the alleged leader. Prosecutors allege the group’s members married immigrants and later separated from them, repeating the arrangement. The operation conducted an estimated 18 to 20 marriages a year until 2024, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said.
Federal agents arrested Gonzalez, Erica Daniels, Cherice Alejandro, Amara Pugh and Jessica Tavares on Wednesday, Oct. 21, according to court documents. A sixth defendant, Jaylen Hill, had previously been arrested on unrelated charges, Foley said. The six defendants are U.S. citizens.
Prosecutors also allege Gonzalez, Alejandro, Daniels and Tavares applied for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits without reporting their spouses or money earned through the marriage scheme. Foley said Gonzalez used some of the proceeds to buy property in the Dominican Republic, where she was born.
Foley said Gonzalez told a witness she believed was an undocumented immigrant that “Massachusetts is the best place for you to be.” The U.S. attorney said the investigation is ongoing.
The allegations have not been proven in court. The arrests come as federal officials scrutinize an alleged scheme involving immigration benefits in a state whose policies have sought to support immigrants, including people without legal status.