Federal prosecutors have unsealed a three-count indictment in Jacksonville, Florida, charging eleven individuals with conspiracy related to marriage fraud and bribery. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
According to the indictment, the defendants allegedly orchestrated a scheme to recruit U.S. citizens—preferably members of the armed forces—to enter into sham marriages with Chinese nationals. The purpose was to help these nationals evade immigration laws and unlawfully obtain permanent resident status. These marriages reportedly took place in several states including Florida, New York, Connecticut, and Nevada.
To support their applications for legal residency, the conspirators are accused of staging photographs to create the appearance of legitimate relationships between couples. In reality, authorities say there was an agreed payment plan for the U.S. citizen spouse: an initial cash payment upon marriage, another when legal status was secured, and a final payment after divorce.
The individuals named in the indictment are Anny Chen (54), Sha Xie (38), Linlin Wang (38), Jiawei Chen (29), Yafeng Deng (23), Hailing Feng (27), Kiah Holly (29), Xionghu Fang (41), Tao Fan (26), Jaden Bullion (24), and Kin Man Cheok (32). Each faces up to five years in prison if convicted on charges that include marriage fraud conspiracy between March 2024 and February 2025. Anny Chen and Linlin Wang also face separate charges for a specific sham marriage in Jacksonville in August 2024.
Additionally, Anny Chen, Hailing Feng, and Kin Man Cheok are charged with conspiring to bribe a public official from November 2024 through February 14, 2025. The indictment alleges that they sought unauthorized Department of Defense identification cards by offering payments to personnel at Naval Air Station Jacksonville.
The bribery scheme involved Navy reservist Raymond Zumba—who has already pleaded guilty—as well as communications arranged under law enforcement supervision. Zumba traveled from New York to Jacksonville with Chen, Feng, and Cheok; together they attempted to acquire ID cards after hours at NAS Jacksonville’s personnel office. Zumba later exchanged $3,500 for two unauthorized ID cards before being arrested by authorities.
In related proceedings connected to this case, former Navy servicemembers Raymond Zumba, Brinio Urena, Morgan Chambers, and Jacinth Bailey have pleaded guilty on similar charges; their sentencing hearings remain pending.
United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe stated: “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.”
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations along with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys David Mesrobian and Michael J. Coolican will prosecute the case.
