World · North America · 1 day ago
Six charged in alleged Massachusetts sham marriage scheme
Federal prosecutors charged six people in Massachusetts over an alleged scheme to arrange fake marriages.
Prosecutors say the marriages were meant to help undocumented immigrants fraudulently obtain legal immigration status.
Jennifer Gonzalez is accused of leading the operation for more than a decade.
She allegedly paid U.S. citizens to marry clients and coached them on creating evidence that the relationships were genuine.
The scheme allegedly arranged 18 to 20 marriages a year, charging $38,000 to $40,000 for each one.
Prosecutors say Gonzalez made millions and invested some of the proceeds in property and businesses in the Dominican Republic.
Five defendants were arrested, while the sixth is in state prison on a firearms offense; initial court appearances have been scheduled.
Six people in Massachusetts have been charged over an alleged scheme arranging sham marriages to help immigrants fraudulently obtain legal immigration status.
Prosecutors say Jennifer Gonzalez led the operation for more than a decade and arranged about 18 to 20 sham marriages a year.
The alleged participants charged include Gonzalez and five others from Fall River and Attleboro.
Authorities say customers paid $38,000 to $40,000 per marriage, and Gonzalez earned millions of dollars.
Five defendants were arrested, while Jaylin Hill is serving a state prison sentence for a firearms offense.
- Who
- Jennifer Gonzalez and five other people in Massachusetts were charged.
- What
- They are accused of arranging sham marriages and submitting fraudulent documents to obtain immigration status.
- When
- The alleged operation ran for more than 10 years; the charges were announced Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
- Where
- Massachusetts, including Fall River and Attleboro.
- Why
- Prosecutors say the marriages were arranged so immigrant customers could fraudulently obtain legal immigration status.
Mike Minogue
Healey campaign
Allegations and oversight
Mike Minogue
Minogue said the case showed waste, fraud and corruption that the Healey administration was not discovering.
Healey campaign
The campaign called Minogue’s claims lies and pointed to a $3 million Justice Department settlement paid by Abiomed, which Minogue led, over allegations involving physician meals.
Prosecutors say Gonzalez’s operation arranged sham marriages and earned money from customers.
Gonzalez reportedly said she stopped arranging weddings around the time Trump was becoming president.
Five defendants were arrested, and the U.S. attorney announced charges against six people.
- Defendants
- Jennifer Gonzalez, Erica Daniels, Chreise Alejandro, Amara Pugh, Jessica Tavares and Jaylin Hill
- Alleged annual volume
- About 18 to 20 sham marriages
- Alleged price
- $38,000 to $40,000 per marriage
- Alleged proceeds
- More than $6 million over the course of the scheme
- Arrests
- Five defendants arrested; Hill was serving a state prison sentence for a firearms offense
3 sources
What people are saying
Marriage is not a loophole, it is not a shortcut, and it is not a tool for gaming U.S. immigration laws.
Massachusetts is the best place for you to be. That is a fact,
Every time I have a spare dollar I just invest in new property in my country. That's what I really do. I like to buy land. Like, I have a lot of land in my country,
It’s just another example that we have waste, fraud, and corruption, and it’s not being discovered by Maura Healey or her administration.