Woman Arrested In US For Arranging Sham Weddings

Jie Hua Zhou, a Chinese citizen, was arrested at her home in California by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, who accuse her of arranging phony marriages for the purpose of speeding citizenship applications. Under US laws, foreign-born individuals may apply for US citizenship if they marry a US citizen.

ICE officials say that Zhou charged between $20,000 and $50,000 to pair citizens and non-citizens in fake marriages. According to officials, Zhou tried to cover the operation by having the “married” couples open joint bank accounts, file joint tax returns, and pose for wedding photos. Couples who followed Zhou’s advice could also be facing charges of filing false tax returns.

Zhou will go before a judge on December 29 for arraignment on the charges, and will remain in jail until that time.

Keywords: Wedding News, Weddingblog, Wedding

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