--- title: "US indicts 11 in decade-long sham marriage scheme for Chinese nationals" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/us-indicts-11-in-decade-long-sham-marriage-scheme-for-chinese-nationals" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-indicts-11-in-decade-long-sham-marriage-scheme-for-chinese-nationals" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/us-indicts-11-in-decade-long-sham-marriage-scheme-for-chinese-nationals.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-indicts-11-in-decade-long-sham-marriage-scheme-for-chinese-nationals" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-12T19:46:24.988Z" source_reported: "2026-08-12T18:36:00.000Z" updated: "2026-08-12T20:30:30.261Z" trust_score: 86 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 30 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-12T20:30:19.100282+00:00" --- # US indicts 11 in decade-long sham marriage scheme for Chinese nationals *Justice Department calls it one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in US history, with fees up to $100,000 per arrangement* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 86 of 100, higher is better. Trust high (86) due to named officials, indictment document, multiple independent reports, specific figures, and clear timing. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Critic score 95 reflects clear purpose, quoted officials, separated facts, specific data, and outlined penalties. - Hype 30 of 100, lower is better. Hype score 30; language is factual with mild emphasis, no clickbait or sensational adjectives. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The US Justice Department indicted 11 people for arranging about 1,000 sham marriages to help Chinese nationals obtain permanent residency. - The scheme ran from 2016 to 2026, charging foreign nationals up to $100,000 per sham marriage, with US participants paid around $30,000. - Defendants face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit marriage and immigration fraud. - No left-rated outlet carried the story, according to the reports below. The US Justice Department unsealed a two-count indictment on 12 August 2026, charging 11 individuals with operating a marriage fraud scheme that arranged about 1,000 sham marriages. The scheme ran from 2016 to July 2026, targeting Chinese nationals seeking permanent residency in the United States. Attorney General Todd Blanche described it as one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in US history. Foreign nationals paid up to $100,000 for a sham marriage, while US citizens recruited to participate received approximately $30,000. The network operated in multiple states, including Connecticut, Florida, and Georgia, as well as in China and Vanuatu. Defendants face charges of conspiracy to commit marriage and immigration fraud, with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison if convicted. The indictment alleges the scheme used staged wedding ceremonies, joint bank accounts, and coached participants to deceive US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Some ceremonies were held in restaurants, with participants changing into traditional Chinese wedding attire to create the appearance of legitimacy. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated reports carried the story. None of the right-rated digests mentioned the $30,000 payment to US participants, a detail included in Anadolu Ajansı’s full report. None of the centre-rated digests named the defendants or described the staged wedding ceremonies in detail, though CBS News did both in its full report. ## Who covered it Shares of the 21 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 5% (1) - Centre: 33% (7) - Right: 62% (13) 4 of 25 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-12T20:30:19.100282+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 1 check found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-12T21:30:15.582Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - The five centre-rated digests led on the scale of the scheme and its duration. CBS News and Reuters both reported the 1,000 sham marriages and the decade-long operation. CBS News named three defendants, Amy Cheng, Xiao Mei Chan, and Gang Zheng, and described the scheme as a "multi-million-dollar cottage industry". WTVB and Reuters noted the case followed a Trump administration order on birth tourism. - CBS News quoted Attorney General Todd Blanche calling the scheme a "yearslong, multi-million-dollar cottage industry to criminally assist people who would not or legally could not otherwise become citizens". The outlet also detailed how the defendants marketed the service on social media and through word of mouth, and included photos of alleged sham ceremonies from the indictment. ### Right - The ten right-rated digests led on the scheme’s size and its connection to Chinese nationals. Anadolu Ajansı, the only right-rated outlet with a full report, quoted Attorney General Todd Blanche describing the scheme as a "deliberate affront" to US laws and emphasising that such actions "will not be tolerated under the Trump administration". The outlet also reported that US participants received about $30,000 per sham marriage. - Fox News, Newsweek, and the Washington Times all used the phrase "one of the largest marriage fraud schemes in US history". The Daily Signal and RedState highlighted the $100,000 fee paid by foreign nationals. The New York Post focused on the scheme’s New York operations, calling it a "NYC fraud scheme". **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 3 - mixed: 10 - high: 6 - unknown: 4 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [La República](https://larepublica.co/globoeconomia/estados-unidos-imputa-a-11-personas-por-trama-de-inmigracion-basada-en-matrimonios-falsos-4457043) — U.S. Charges 11 People for Immigration Plot Based on False Marriages · Global Voices - [Hindustan Times](https://hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/us-government-charges-11-people-in-scheme-to-obtain-green-cards-through-sham-marriages-101786564513908.html) — US government charges 11 people in scheme to obtain green cards through sham marriages - [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/news/politics/2026/08/12/us-government-charges-11-people-in-scheme-to-obtain-green-cards-through-sham-marriages) — US government charges 11 people in scheme to obtain green cards through sham marriages - [La Opinion](https://laopinion.com/2026/08/12/red-migratoria-organizaba-matrimonios-falsos-para-tramitar-green-card-de-hasta-100000) — Migration Network Organized Fake Marriages to Process Green Card up to $100,000 - [Globo](https://valor.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2026/08/12/eua-indiciam-11-por-esquema-de-casamentos-falsos-que-burlava-sistema-de-imigrao.ghtml) — U.S. Indicts 11 for Fake Marriage Scheme that Mocked Immigration System - [The Last Refuge](https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2026/08/12/doj-announces-charges-against-11-defendants-in-chinese-fake-marriage-fraud-scheme) — DOJ Announces Charges Against 11 Defendants in Chinese "Fake Marriage" Fraud Scheme - [Times of India](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/sham-marriages-for-green-cards-todd-blanche-busts-multi-million-dollar-fraud-ring-11-charged/videoshow/133192311.cms) — 'Sham marriages for green cards': Todd Blanche busts multi-million-dollar fraud ring; 11 charged - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/politics/feds-bust-largest-marriage-fraud-schemes-us-history-involving-1000-chinese-sham-unions) — Feds bust one of the largest marriage fraud schemes in US history involving 1,000+ Chinese sham unions - [WTVB](https://wtvbam.com/2026/08/12/us-charges-11-in-sham-marriage-immigration-scheme-following-trump-birth-tourism-order) — US charges 11 in sham marriage immigration scheme, following Trump ‘birth tourism’ order - [Internewscast](https://internewscast.com/news/us/us-charges-11-in-alleged-green-card-marriage-fraud-scheme) — US Charges 11 in Alleged Green Card Marriage Fraud Scheme - [ussanews.com](https://ussanews.com/2026/08/12/watch-doj-charges-11-suspects-in-more-than-1000-sham-marriages-between-chinese-nationals-and-u-s-citizens) — DOJ charges 11 suspects in more than 1,000 sham marriages between Chinese nationals and U.S. citizens - [The Straits Times](https://straitstimes.com/world/us-charges-11-in-sham-marriage-immigration-scheme-following-trump-birth-tourism-order) — US charges 11 in sham marriage immigration scheme, following Trump 'birth tourism' order - [Reuters](https://reuters.com/legal/government/us-charges-11-sham-marriage-immigration-scheme-following-trump-birth-tourism-2026-08-12) — US charges 11 in sham marriage immigration scheme, following Trump 'birth tourism' order - [Anadolu Ajansı](https://aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-dismantles-decade-long-multi-million-dollar-marriage-fraud-scheme/4025720) — US dismantles decade-long multi-million dollar marriage fraud scheme - [Newsweek](https://newsweek.com/green-card-fraud-case-defendants-ran-alleged-sham-marriages-scheme-12315283) — DOJ green card case: How 11 defendants ran alleged "sham marriages" - [Washington Times](https://washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/12/feds-bust-massive-chinese-fraud-ring-arranged-1000-bogus-marriages) — Feds bust massive Chinese fraud ring that arranged 1,000 bogus marriages - [WND](https://wnd.com/2026/08/watch-doj-charges-11-suspects-more-than-1000) — DOJ charges 11 suspects in more than 1,000 sham marriages between Chinese nationals and U.S. citizens * WorldNetDaily * by WND Staff - [大纪元 Epoch Times](https://epochtimes.com/b5/26/8/12/n14828618.htm) — Press Conference Held by the Ministry of Justice Regarding Chinese Citizen Marriage Fraud Case - [The Daily Hodl](https://dailyhodl.com/2026/08/12/alleged-connecticut-scammer-executes-200000-u-s-treasury-check-fraud-scheme) — Alleged Connecticut Scammer Executes $200,000 U.S. Treasury Check Fraud Scheme - [CBS News](https://cbsnews.com/news/chinese-nationals-charged-alleged-sham-marriage-scheme) — U.S. charges 11 for alleged sham marriage scheme to help Chinese nationals gain green cards - [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/08/12/us-news/feds-bust-nyc-fraud-scheme-that-engineered-hundreds-of-sham-marriages-between-americans-chinese-nationals) — Feds bust NYC fraud scheme that engineered hundreds of sham marriages between Americans, Chinese nationals - [The Daily Signal](https://dailysignal.com/2026/08/12/charged-green-cards-fake-marriages) — DOJ Charges 11 in Scheme of Fake Marriages for Green Cards - [RedState](https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2026/08/12/till-the-feds-do-us-part-huge-chinese-marriage-fraud-network-taken-down-n2205528) — Till the Feds Do Us Part: Huge Chinese Marriage-Fraud Network Taken Down - [El Economista](https://eleconomista.com.mx/internacionales/desmantelan-red-organizo-1-000-matrimonios-falsos-obtener-residencias-legales-eu-20260812-827912.html) — Dismantled Network that Organized More than 1,000 Fake Marriages to Obtain Legal Residences in the United States - [Weekly Real Estate News](https://wrenews.com/nyc-accountant-indicted-in-connection-to-real-estate-investment-fraud-schemes) — NYC Accountant Indicted in Connection to Real Estate Investment Fraud Schemes ## Questions **How many sham marriages were arranged in the scheme?** The US Justice Department indictment alleges about 1,000 sham marriages were arranged between Chinese nationals and US citizens from 2016 to 2026. The scheme was described as one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in US history. **What were the fees charged in the sham marriage scheme?** Foreign nationals paid up to $100,000 for a sham marriage to obtain permanent residency in the US. US citizens recruited to participate received approximately $30,000 per arrangement, according to the indictment. **Which outlets reported the story and which did not?** The story was reported by five centre-rated outlets and ten right-rated outlets. No left-rated outlet carried the story, according to the reports reviewed. The right-rated Anadolu Ajansı provided the most detailed account. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/us-indicts-11-in-decade-long-sham-marriage-scheme-for-chinese-nationals. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "US indicts 11 in decade-long sham marriage scheme for Chinese nationals", https://mediabias.news/politics/us-indicts-11-in-decade-long-sham-marriage-scheme-for-chinese-nationals