11 People Charged in Scheme to Obtain Citizenship

Fraudulent Marriages in Florida

Marriage is something many people anticipate. It’s usually a day of joy, family unity, and a lot of delicious food. But what occurs when a marriage turns out to be fraudulent? When illegal unions are simply a way to gain legal immigration status?

Recently, eleven individuals in Florida faced charges for attempting to orchestrate fake marriages between U.S. citizens and Chinese nationals to secure legal immigration into the United States. The accusations involve recruiting members of the U.S. military to stage these marriages in exchange for money. Between March 2024 and February 2025, these activities became more common across Florida, New York, Connecticut, and Nevada.

The accused include Anna Cheng, a 54-year-old New Yorker, along with Americans Chen Wang, Linden Wang, Deng Yafeng, Feng Hailin, Kia Holly, and Jayden Brion, as well as Chinese nationals Chen Jiawei, Huang Xiongfu, Tao Huang, and Qing Mancheok.

These individuals were allegedly compensated for creating fake photo shoots to make the relationships seem genuine, organizing weddings, assisting with necessary paperwork, and later facilitating divorces. For instance, Chen and Lingling Wang are accused of marriage fraud after allegedly paying $10,000 to Raymond Zumba, a U.S. Navy reservist, to marry Xia Ti, a Chinese national, in New York. Zumba is reported to have encouraged other Navy personnel to pursue similar arrangements and offered to fund unauthorized identification documents.

While the Zumba case is quite alarming, it is merely one instance among many fraudulent marriages occurring nationwide. Other similar cases have involved individuals like Brinio Arena, Morgan Cambers, and Jacinth Bailey, who have all pleaded guilty to comparable schemes.

Many involved have profited significantly through these illegal means and are now waiting for lengthy sentences as a consequence of their actions. The investigation, carried out by Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Mesroboan and Michael J. Coolican.