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By Adeola Adeosun
Weekend Night Editor
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The Homeland Security Task (HSI) Force in Jacksonville, Florida announced on February 11 a multijurisdictional enforcement operation targeting a Chinese transnational criminal organization for marriage fraud.
U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe unsealed a three-count indictment on February 4 charging 11 individuals in a sophisticated scheme that recruited U.S. service members to enter sham marriages with Chinese nationals, enabling them to obtain immigration benefits and unauthorized access to U.S. military installations between March 2024 and February 2025.
Newsweek reached out the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) via email on Saturday for additional comment.
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How the Scheme Operated
The criminal organization allegedly recruited United States citizens, preferably armed forces members, to marry Chinese nationals for financial compensation. The sham marriages occurred across multiple states, including Florida, New York, Connecticut, and Nevada.
To create the illusion of legitimate relationships for immigration authorities, conspirators staged photographs of couples and fabricated evidence of loving, committed partnerships. In reality, participants had agreed to a three-part payment structure: U.S. citizen spouses received an upfront cash payment for entering the marriage, a second payment when their foreign spouse obtained legal immigration status, and a final payment after divorce.
Those charged with marriage fraud conspiracy include Anny Chen, 54, of New York; Sha Xie, 38, of China; Linlin Wang, 38, of China; Jiawei Chen, 29, of China; Yafeng Deng, 23, of New York; Hailing Feng, 27, of New York; Kiah Holly, 29, of Maryland; Xionghu Fang, 41, of China; Tao Fan, 26, of China; Jaden Bullion, 24, of Florida; and Kin Man Cheok, 32, of China. Each faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge.
Anny Chen and Linlin Wang face an additional marriage fraud charge related to a sham marriage that occurred in Jacksonville in August 2024, carrying another five-year maximum penalty.
HSI Jacksonville and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Southeast, with assistance from HSI New York, HSI Baltimore, HSI Los Angeles and partner agencies, arrested five suspects on February 3.
Two additional targets are scheduled to self-surrender, while authorities continue searching for the remaining four individuals.
Military Base Security Breach
The indictment alleges that Anny Chen, Hailing Feng, and Kin Man Cheok conspired to bribe a public official to obtain unauthorized Department of Defense identification cards for access to Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Each faces an additional five years in prison if convicted of bribery conspiracy.
In January, a confidential source reported to law enforcement that Navy reservist Raymond Zumba—who has since pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official—had offered to bribe the source and the source's spouse, who worked in the personnel office that issues Department of Defense identification cards at NAS Jacksonville. Zumba allegedly asked whether the spouse would issue real but unauthorized ID cards for cash payments.
Acting under federal direction, the source engaged in communications with Zumba to document the bribery scheme. On February 13, 2025, Zumba drove from New York to Jacksonville with Anny Chen, Feng, and Cheok. He brought them to the naval station, where the source's spouse admitted them to the personnel office after business hours and initiated the ID card process for Chen and Cheok. The following day, Zumba met with the source and exchanged $3,500 for two cards before being promptly arrested. The cards were recovered.
Four Navy Personnel Already Pleaded Guilty
Four former U.S. Navy service members—Raymond Zumba, Brinio Urena, Morgan Chambers, and Jacinth Bailey—have already pleaded guilty to charges related to the same scheme. Their sentencing hearings remain pending.
What People Are Saying
Michael Cochran, HSI Tampa Acting Special Agent in Charge: "This investigation underscores the critical role that HSI plays in protecting our nation from transnational criminal organizations that seek to exploit our customs and immigration laws and threaten our national security. Through the dedication and expertise of our agents and partners, we have successfully investigated, disrupted and dismantled a sophisticated criminal network operating across borders."
Immigration attorney Kevin J. Stewart told previously told Newsweek: "Any couple that cannot provide evidence of the bona fide marriage factors such as cohabitation, shared assets, shared living expenses, joint bank accounts, travel together, time spent with each other's family, etc. will face heightened scrutiny."
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What Happens Next
Federal authorities will continue efforts to locate and apprehend the remaining suspects.
The investigation was led by HSI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, with assistance from the FBI Jacksonville, IRS-Criminal Investigation Jacksonville, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Jacksonville.
The case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Mesrobian and Michael J. Coolican.
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