Eleven Individuals Indicted in a Marriage Fraud Conspiracy

Jacksonville, Florida - United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of a three-count indictment charging 11 individuals for their alleged roles in federal conspiracies related to marriage fraud and bribery. The indictment alleges the following charges against each defendant:

According to the indictment, the above named individuals allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to recruit United States citizens, preferably members of the armed forces, to enter into sham marriages to Chinese nationals for the purpose of evading immigration laws and illicitly obtaining lawful permanent resident status for the Chinese nationals. The sham marriages took place around the country, including in Jacksonville, as well as in New York, Connecticut, and Nevada. To create the illusion of a real marriage, the conspirators took photographs of the couples to create evidence that could be presented to immigration authorities to suggest that the marriages were legitimate, and the couples were in loving, committed relationships. In reality, the conspirators had agreed to a payment plan whereby the United States citizen spouse would receive a cash payment up front for marrying the Chinese national, a second payment when legal immigration status was obtained, and a final payment after the divorce.

Anny Chen and Wang are charged additionally for a sham marriage that occurred in Jacksonville in August 2024.

In related cases, Raymond Zumba, Brinio Urena, Morgan Chambers, and Jacinth Bailey, former servicemembers in the United States Navy, have all pleaded guilty to charges related to the same scheme. Their sentencing hearings are pending.

The indictment also alleges that Anny Chen, Hailing Feng, and Kin Man Cheok conspired to bribe a public official. Specifically, in January 2025, a confidential source reported to law enforcement that Navy reservist Raymond Zumba (who has also already pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official) had offered to bribe the source and the source's spouse who worked at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville in the personnel office that issues Department of Defense identification cards. The source reported that Zumba asked whether the spouse would be willing to issue real, but unauthorized ID cards for an under-the-table payment. Acting at the direction of federal agents, the source proceeded to engage in a series of communications with Zumba during which they discussed Zumba's plan to obtain unauthorized ID cards in exchange for cash. After driving from New York, Zumba arrived in Jacksonville on February 13, 2025, with Anny Chen, Feng, and Cheok.

Zumba brought these individuals to NAS Jacksonville where the source's spouse let them into the personnel office after business hours and initiated the process for Anny Chen and Cheok to receive ID cards. The following day, Zumba met with the source, who gave him two cards in exchange for $3,500. Zumba was promptly arrested, and the cards were recovered.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Mesrobian and Michael J. Coolican.