11 New Yorkers Charged in Massive Marriage Fraud Scheme

Two Hudson Valley women are among 11 New Yorkers charged in a federal marriage fraud scheme.

Federal officials say the women foreigners obtain green cards through sham marriages.

Two Westchester County Women Among 11 Charged In Massive Decade-Long Sham Marriage Scheme

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Two women from Westchester County are among 11 people arrested and charged in connection with what federal prosecutors are calling one of the largest marriage fraud schemes in United States history.

Sigrid Cetino, 32, of Peekskill, and Erika Johnson, 43, of Ossining, were charged alongside nine others in a sweeping federal indictment unsealed Wednesday.

The scheme allegedly orchestrated more than 1,000 fake marriages over more than a decade to help foreign nationals, primarily Chinese citizens, fraudulently obtain Green Cards.

Some participants paid as much as $100,000 per fake marriage, officials say.

How The Scheme Worked

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According to the indictment, the network operated from at least 2016 through July 2026 and was based primarily in New York, with sham marriages arranged across the United States and overseas, including in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Vanuatu, and China.

The operation ran like a business, with clearly defined roles. Facilitators oversaw the operation and identified foreign national customers willing to pay for a path to a Green Card. Recruiters found willing U.S. citizens and kept them involved throughout the process. Assistants handled the immigration paperwork and coordinated the submission of fraudulent Green Card applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

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Foreign nationals paid facilitators up to $100,000 for a sham marriage and immigration assistance. Facilitators paid participating U.S. citizens up to $30,000, generally in installments tied to milestones in the Green Card process. Recruiters earned commissions of up to $5,000 for each U.S. citizen they brought into the scheme.

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To make the marriages look legitimate, participants would often meet for the very first time moments before obtaining a marriage license. They then arranged fake wedding ceremonies and staged photographs.

After the ceremonies, they manufactured additional evidence of a real marriage, including joint financial and utility accounts, joint tax returns, and insurance policies.

When USCIS interviews were required, scheme organizers coached the participants on how to lie to immigration officers and conceal the true nature of their relationships.

Federal investigators say the network collected tens of millions of dollars from foreign nationals seeking lawful permanent resident status.

The Westchester Connection

Court documents include photographs showing both Cetino and Johnson participating in sham wedding ceremonies organized by the network.

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Sigrid Cetino of Peekskill appears in an indictment photograph from a sham wedding ceremony that took place on December 17, 2024. (Seen above)

Erika Johnson of Ossining appears in a separate photograph from a sham ceremony on January 15, 2025. Both ceremonies involved defendant Anthony Cheng, 47, of Staten Island, who appears to have played a central organizing role. (Seen below)

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All 11 Defendants

The full list of defendants charged in the case includes Amy Cheng, 72, of Brooklyn; Xiao Mei Chan, 64, of Queens; Christine Lu, 52, of Queens; Jing Yan Ye, 43, of Staten Island; Xiao Yan Chen, 48, of Brooklyn; Gang Zheng, 61, of Queens; Anthony Cheng, 47, of Staten Island; Michelle Duenas, 35, of Staten Island; Angela Duenas, 26, of Staten Island; Sigrid Cetino, 32, of Peekskill; and Erika Johnson, 43, of Ossining.

All 11 were arrested Wednesday morning. Law enforcement simultaneously executed search warrants at multiple locations in New York, including in Sunset Park, Brooklyn and Flushing, Queens.

Each defendant faces two counts. The first is conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration fraud, carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The second is conspiracy to encourage the unlawful residence of aliens in the United States, carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

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