Seven people have pleaded guilty to running a large-scale marriage fraud agency that arranged hundreds of fake marriages, including lying about domestic abuse, to get green cards, according to federal prosecutors.
On Wednesday, Marcialito Biol Benitez, 49, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration document fraud, according to acting US Attorney Joshua S. Levy’s office. Benitez was arrested and charged in April 2022.
Officials said Benitez operated an agency out of Los Angeles that submitted fraudulent immigration documents and performed sham marriages for at least 600 clients between October 2016 and March 2022, including at least one person in Massachusetts.
People would pay between $20,000 to $35,000 in cash, officials said.
The agency would pair foreign national clients with citizen “spouses,” who were paid. They would then stage fake wedding ceremonies at chapels, parks and other locations. This included a hired online officiant and photos with prop wedding decorations, such as “just married” signs. They’d also coach clients and the spouses through interviews with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and “advised clients about maintaining the appearance of legitimate marriage to their spouses.”
They’d then submit marriage-based immigration petitions to USCIS on their behalf.
However, if the paid spouses became unresponsive or uncooperative, officials said the agency would apply to obtain green cards under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which allows non-citizen victims of spousal abuse to apply for lawful permanent resident status without their spouses’ involvement.
They’d claim the undocumented clients had been abused by the American spouses and would submit fraudulent applications on clients’ behalf for temporary restraining orders against spouses based on “fabricated domestic violence allegations.”
The restraining order along with immigration petitions would be submitted to USCIS.
The charge of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Benitez’ sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 10.
