96 Indicted In Fake Marriage Scheme To Bypass Immigration Laws

HOUSTON — Nearly 100 people are facing federal charges for their involvement in what federal prosecutors called a massive immigration marriage scheme in the Houston area.

According to a press release from the Department of Homeland Security, a federal grand jury returned the massive indictment April 30, against 96 people. So far, 50 of those named in the indictment are in federal custody.

Federal prosecutors alleged that 53-year-old Ashley Yen Nguyen, aka Duyen, ran an operation in southwest Houston with connections throughout Texas and the Republic of Vietnam, that charged people $50,000 to $70,000 to bypass immigration statutes and entered the United States illegally.

“Marriage fraud is a serious crime,” said District Director Tony Bryson, USCIS Houston. “This indictment reveals how successful our working relationships are with our law enforcement and intelligence partners when it comes to investigating marriage fraud. USCIS remains steadfast in our commitment to ensuring national security, public safety and the integrity of the immigration system.”

Federal investigators claim Duyen, charged to arrange bogus marriages that often included fake wedding albums, fake tax documents, and fake employment information.

According to prosecutors, Duyen worked with a network of U.S. citizens who agreed to the marriages for payment. Several individuals who were recruited as petitioners also became recruiters, prosecutors said.

Among those listed in the indictment are Pearland attorney Trang Le Nguyen, aka Nguyen Le Thien Trang, 45, who was indicted for obstructing and impeding the due administration of justice and tampering with a witness, victim or informant.

Prosecutors said Nguyen allegedly prepared paperwork associated with at least one of the fraudulent marriages and told a witness who provided information to law enforcement to go into hiding, to not engage in any air travel that may alert federal law enforcement to her presence, and to not provide any further information to law enforcement.

Several of those in the indictment allegedly acted as guides for U.S. citizen petitioners who traveled to Vietnam to allegedly meet his or her fiance, who instead were beneficiary spouses paying to circumvent U.S. law.

The criminal charges listed in the indictment include 47 counts of marriage fraud;
50 counts of mail fraud; 51 counts of immigration fraud; 51 counts of false statements under oath in a matter relating to registry of aliens; and one count each of conspiracy to engage in marriage fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, conspiracy to commit immigration fraud, conspiracy to make false statements under oath in a matter relating to registry of aliens, unlawful procurement of naturalization, obstructing and impeding the due administration of justice, and tampering with a witness, victim or informant.

“These arrests mark the culmination of a comprehensive yearlong multi-agency investigation into one of the largest alleged marriage fraud conspiracies ever documented in the Houston area,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson, HSI Houston. “By working together with our partners from various federal law enforcement agencies, we have sent a resounding message that we are united in our effort to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations that seek to circumvent U.S. law by fraudulent means.”

Those named in the indictment are looking at a variety of federal charges such as conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud and tampering with a witness, victim or informant which all carry possible 20-year federal prison sentences.

Those convicted of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud or marriage fraud face up to five years in prison, while the remaining charges all have maximum possible 10-year-terms of federal imprisonment, prosecutors said.

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