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Eleven people have been charged in Florida in connection with a marriage fraud scheme that involved the recruitment of U.S. military service members to marry Chinese citizens.
The scheme was orchestrated by a Chinese transnational gang that recruited military members to participate in fraudulent marriages so that Chinese citizens could obtain immigration benefits and access cards for U.S. military installations, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“This investigation underscores the critical role that HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) plays in protecting our nation from transnational criminal organizations that seek to exploit our customs and immigration laws and threaten our national security,” said HSI Tampa acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Cochran. “Through the dedication and expertise of our agents and partners, we have successfully investigated, disrupted and dismantled a sophisticated criminal network operating across borders.”
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The national flags of the United States and China flutter at the Fairmont Peace Hotel on April 25, 2024 in Shanghai, China. Federal prosecutors allege a Chinese gang recruited U.S. military service members to marry Chinese nationals in fraudulent marriages. (Wang Gang/VCG via Getty Images)
The sham marriages took place around the country, including in Jacksonville, Florida, as well as in New York, Connecticut and Nevada.
To bolster claims that the marriages were genuine, the suspects took photographs of the couples to create evidence that could be presented to immigration authorities to suggest they were in loving, committed relationships.
In reality, the suspects had agreed to a payment plan whereby the U.S. citizen spouse would receive a cash payment up front for marrying the Chinese national, a second payment when legal immigration status was obtained, and a final payment after the divorce.
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An aerial view of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower together in eastern Mediterranean on November 03, 2023. (Photo by U.S.Navy Janae Chambers/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Five people were charged with marriage fraud conspiracy between March 2024 and February 2025:
- Anny Chen, 54, of New York. She is also charged with marriage fraud and bribery conspiracy.
- Kiah Holly, 29, of Maryland.
- Kin Man Cheok, 32, of China, who is also charged with bribery conspiracy between November 2024 and Feb. 14, 2025.
- Hailing Feng, 27, of New York, who is also charged with bribery conspiracy.
- Xionghu Fang, 41, of China.
Raymond Zumba, Brinio Urena, Morgan Chambers and Jacinth Bailey, former U.S. Navy service members, have all pleaded guilty to charges related to the same scheme. Their sentences are pending.
Federal prosecutors also allege that Anny Chen, Hailing Feng and Kin Man Cheok conspired to bribe a public official. Zumba, who served in the Navy Reserve, allegedly offered to bribe an unidentified source and the source’s spouse, who worked at Naval Air Station Jacksonville in the personnel office that issues Department of War identification cards.
Zumba allegedly asked whether the spouse would be willing to issue real, but unauthorized, ID cards for an under-the-table payment. The source reported the plan to authorities and continued to communicate with Zumba.
A Muslim man from Malaysia secretly married an 11-year-old girl. (iStock)
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After driving from New York, Zumba arrived in Jacksonville on Feb. 13, 2025, with Anny Chen, Feng and Cheok.
He brought them to the Naval Air Station Jacksonville, where the source’s spouse let them into the personnel office after business hours and initiated the process for Chen and Cheok to receive ID cards. The following day, Zumba met with the source, who gave him two cards in exchange for $3,500.
Zumba was promptly arrested, and the cards were recovered, authorities said.