Six people in Massachusetts have been arrested and charged in connection with a marriage fraud scheme in which US citizens were reportedly paid to marry immigrants seeking to obtain legal immigration status.
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The arrests took place on the morning of October 21, 2026, following an investigation into an operation that authorities say had been running for more than a decade and generated substantial amounts of money.
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The defendants have been identified as Jennifer Gonzalez, 43; Erica Daniels, 29; Chreise Alejandro, 39; Amara Pugh, 31; Jessica Tavares, 31; and Jaylin Hill, 26.
According to court documents, Gonzalez operated a business that arranged sham marriages for immigrants who paid her to help them obtain legal status in the United States.
Prosecutors say Gonzalez paid Daniels, Alejandro, Tavares and Hill, all US citizens, to marry immigrants so the individuals could submit fraudulent documents to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Pugh, also a US citizen, allegedly worked as the business’s secretary.
Authorities say the operation typically arranged between 18 and 20 fraudulent marriages annually, charging customers between $38,000 and $40,000 for each arrangement. Court documents further state that Gonzalez earned hundreds of thousands of dollars annually from the operation over at least 10 years.
Investigators also claim that Gonzalez instructed customers on how to make the marriages appear genuine. This reportedly included opening joint bank accounts, obtaining life insurance policies and taking photographs together as couples.
She allegedly told customers that preparing the necessary documentation would take three to four months and required them to sign contracts for her services.
According to court documents, investigators recorded Gonzalez discussing the arrangements with a cooperating witness. In one recording, she allegedly accepted a $3,000 cash deposit and directed the preparation of a contract disguised as a loan agreement.
Gonzalez reportedly explained that the document avoided mentioning the intended spouse because doing so would be “incriminating.” Customers also allegedly made recurring payments of $500 per month to their assigned spouses or people close to them to maintain the arrangements.
Authorities further claim that photographs taken at weddings and social outings were used to support fraudulent immigration applications.
During the investigation, Gonzalez allegedly told a cooperating witness that she invested proceeds from the business in real estate and other businesses in the Dominican Republic.
Court documents also state that several defendants submitted false information on Massachusetts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit applications by claiming they had never been married, despite filing federal immigration petitions on behalf of their purported spouses.
Gonzalez is also accused of spending more than $120,000 in SNAP benefits while operating the marriage fraud business and purchasing property in the Dominican Republic.
The case has drawn attention to the alleged scale of the operation and the methods investigators say were used to make the marriages appear legitimate.
Jaylin Hill is currently serving a state prison sentence for a firearms offence. Initial court appearances for the defendants were scheduled for October 21, with Hill’s hearing set for 12:45 p.m., Daniels and Pugh at 2 p.m., Alejandro and Tavares at 2:45 p.m., and Gonzalez at 3:15 p.m.
The charges include conspiracy and offences relating to harboring immigrants, as well as marriage fraud and conspiracy to commit marriage fraud.