On October 20, 2026, according to a report translated by Epoch Times reporter Qiu Sheng, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), also known as the Immigration Bureau, announced on Monday (October 19) that Jingming Chen, a 31-year-old resident of Quincy, Massachusetts, is accused of conspiring to commit marriage fraud and immigration document fraud.
The Northern District of Ohio Federal Prosecutor’s Office reported that a federal grand jury has filed charges against Jingming Chen, accusing him of receiving payment to enter into a fraudulent marriage with another person in order for his co-conspirator to illegally obtain lawful permanent resident status, commonly known as a green card.
Court documents reveal that Chen, a U.S. citizen, accepted a bribe from a Chinese national residing in Aurora, Ohio, to enter into a fraudulent marriage with another individual. They falsified evidence to carry out immigration document fraud to support their fraudulent claims of a legitimate marriage.
Chen and his co-conspirator submitted false statements to the immigration authorities to assist the co-conspirator in obtaining a green card and other immigration benefits.
The announcement indicates that Chen agreed to receive partial payments at each stage of the green card application process. Chen and his co-conspirator discussed how to fabricate a false online and long-distance relationship, including how they met and who introduced them. They also discussed how to sign a prenuptial agreement and open joint accounts for banking, mobile services, insurance, and discount store memberships, among other things.
Chen and his co-conspirator filed a Notice of Intention of Marriage in Quincy. Chen instructed the co-conspirator to purchase a cheap fake diamond ring for the wedding ceremony. After the marriage, Chen instructed a proxy to submit the I-130 form (Petition for Alien Relative) to demonstrate the marital relationship with the foreign national, paving the way for the co-conspirator to obtain a green card.
The investigation is being handled by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cleveland office under the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as the Immigration and National Security Directorate (Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate) Boston office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. McDonough is responsible for the prosecution of this case.
If convicted, Chen could face up to 5 years in prison. The sentencing judge in the federal district court will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.