Marriage fraud is one of the immigration violations the government pursues most aggressively. At Campos Law Firm, we closely monitor developments in U.S. immigration policy to protect our clients’ rights and future. On October 21, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced charges against six people from Fall River and Attleboro for allegedly running a sham marriage ring that charged between $38,000 and $40,000 per marriage arranged to obtain immigration benefits.
If you are married to a U.S. citizen and have a petition pending, this news is not about you, but it does explain why U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is examining marriage-based petitions more closely. Below, we explain what is known, what is not, and what you can do.
What happened in Massachusetts?
According to prosecutors, Jennifer Gonzalez, 43, a U.S. citizen, ran an operation out of Fall River that, for at least ten years, arranged roughly 18 to 20 marriages a year. Immigrants allegedly paid a $3,000 down payment, signed a contract disguised as a loan, and made $500 monthly payments to their “spouse.” Gonzalez paid U.S. citizens to marry the customers and coached them on manufacturing evidence: joint accounts, life insurance, and staged couple photos.
The other five defendants are Erica Daniels, Chreise Alejandro, Amara Pugh, Jessica Tavares, and Jaylin Hill. All face charges of conspiracy and marriage fraud (up to five years in prison) and harboring noncitizens without status (up to ten years). These are allegations: all six defendants are presumed innocent. To date, none of the immigrants who allegedly paid for these marriages has been charged, and the investigation is ongoing.
What separates a legitimate marriage from immigration fraud?
The law does not require a marriage to be perfect, or the spouses to share a culture, a language, or an age bracket. What USCIS evaluates is whether, at the time of the wedding, both people genuinely intended to build a life together. A marriage that later falls apart is not fraud; one entered into solely to get a green card is.
Marrying to evade immigration law is a federal crime (section 275(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, INA) punishable by up to five years in prison, for the immigrant as well as for the citizen who accepts payment. Among the “red flags” USCIS looks for, according to the organization CLINIC, are inconsistent information, little evidence of a shared life, separate addresses without explanation, rehearsed answers and, above all, any sign of payment.
How do you document a bona fide relationship for USCIS?
A spouse petition is filed on Form I-130 and, if the person is in the U.S. and eligible, with Form I-485 for adjustment of status. At that stage, and when removing the conditions on residence (Form I-751), USCIS weighs the quality and variety of the evidence more than its volume. Our immigration attorneys recommend gathering, naturally and not overnight:
- Shared life: a lease or mortgage in both names, utility bills, and official mail to the same address.
- Shared finances: joint bank accounts with real activity, joint tax returns, insurance policies naming the other spouse as beneficiary.
- Family and history: birth certificates of children you have together, photos over time with family and friends, messages, travel tickets.
- Witnesses: sworn statements from people who know the relationship firsthand.
What defines fraud is not missing one of these documents, but manufacturing them: in Massachusetts, prosecutors point precisely to accounts and policies opened at the organizer’s instruction. A real couple with thin paperwork can explain their circumstances; a fake one with thick paperwork usually falls apart at the interview.
What are the consequences of a marriage fraud finding?
Beyond the criminal case, the most serious immigration consequence lies in INA section 204(c): if USCIS determines that a person married, or attempted to marry, to evade immigration law, no later family or employment petition on their behalf can be approved, even if the new marriage is entirely genuine. It is a permanent bar with no waiver.
Add to that inadmissibility for fraud (INA 212(a)(6)(C)(i)), possible revocation of a green card already approved and, for a conditional resident, removal proceedings in Immigration Court. A 204(c) finding does not require a criminal conviction, which is why defending yourself at the administrative stage matters as much as in court.
What can you do now?
- If your marriage is real and your petition is pending: organize your evidence chronologically and prepare for the interview with your attorney, answering naturally rather than from a script.
- If someone offered to “fix your papers” through a paid marriage: do not sign or pay anything. That money does not buy status; it buys a file that can follow you for life.
- If you already took part in a marriage that was not in good faith: do not file anything new without legal advice; every additional form can deepen your exposure.
- If USCIS sent you a Notice of Intent to Deny or Revoke (NOID or NOIR): the deadline is short, and it is your chance to present evidence.
- If HSI or FBI agents contact you: you have the right to remain silent and to a lawyer. Our criminal defense attorneys work alongside our immigration team on these cases.
Protect Your Immigration Status with Campos Law Firm
A genuine marriage remains one of the strongest paths to permanent residence. What the law punishes is the sham, and what puts a real couple at risk is walking into the interview unprepared.
If you are about to file a marriage-based petition, have an interview coming up, or received a USCIS notice questioning your relationship, Campos Law Firm is here to help you. Do not leave your immigration status to chance. Call us today at +1 (844) 922-6767 to schedule a free, confidential consultation in English or Spanish. Campos Law Firm: Legal Solutions in All Areas of Law.
With information from the U.S. Justice Department, AP and CLINIC.
