Defendant Tavares entering into sham marriage with illegal alien from Brazil as part of massive fraud ring in Massachusetts / DOJ

The Justice Department on Wednesday announced six people were charged in a massive marriage fraud ring between illegal aliens and US citizens in Massachusetts.

“Six individuals in Massachusetts have been charged with allegedly arranging sham marriages to fraudulently obtain immigration status for illegal aliens,” the DOJ said.

“The organization’s leader has allegedly been orchestrating sham marriages for illegal aliens to enable them to fraudulently obtain immigration status for over 10 years and has made millions of dollars doing so,” the DOJ said in a press release.

The following individuals have been charged with conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens; harboring illegal aliens; conspiracy to commit marriage fraud; and marriage fraud:

1. Jennifer Gonzalez, 43, of Fall River, Mass.;
2. Erica Daniels, 29, of Fall River, Mass.;
3. Chreise Alejandro, 39), of Fall River, Mass.;
4. Amara Pugh, 31, of Fall River, Mass.;
5. Jessica Tavares, 31, of Attleboro, Mass.; and
6. Jaylin Hill, 26, of Fall River, Mass.

Leah Foley, US Attorney for Massachusetts, announced the charges during a press conference on Wednesday.

“The alleged mastermind behind this marriage fraud scheme is Jennifer Gonzales, a United States citizen who was allegedly responsible for fraudulently arranging sham marriages in Massachusetts for over a decade. Gonzales allegedly charged between $38,000 and $40,000 per marriage and arranged 18 to 20 sham marriages per year for over 10 years. On the low end, this conspiracy netted her $6 MILLION during the course of the alleged scam,” Leah Foley said.

“According to court documents, Gonzalez ran a business in which illegal aliens paid her to arrange sham marriages for them so that they could fraudulently obtain immigration status. Gonzalez in turn paid Daniels, Alejandro, Tavares and Hill (all U.S. citizens), to engage in one or more marriages to illegal aliens so that those “customers” could submit fraudulent documents to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to obtain legal immigration status. Pugh, also a U.S. citizen, worked as the business’s “secretary.”” the DOJ said.

WATCH:

U.S. Attorney Leah Foley for @DMANews1: “The alleged mastermind behind this marriage fraud scheme is Jennifer Gonzales, a United States citizen who was allegedly responsible for fraudulently arranging sham marriages in Massachusetts for over a decade. Gonzales allegedly charged between $38,000 and $40,000 per marriage and arranged 18 to 20 sham marriages per year for over 10 years. On the low end, this conspiracy netted her $6 MILLION during the course of the alleged scam.”

— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) October 21, 2026

“The charges of harboring illegal aliens and conspiracy to do the same, each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000,” the DOJ said.

“The charges of marriage fraud and conspiracy to do the same each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case,” the DOJ said.

The defendants took photos of the sham weddings to use when applying for immigration status.

Six individuals in Massachusetts have been charged with allegedly arranging sham marriages to fraudulently obtain immigration status for illegal aliens. The organization’s leader has allegedly been orchestrating sham marriages for illegal aliens to enable them to fraudulently obtain immigration status for OVER 10 years and has made millions of dollars doing so.

The defendants took photographs of the “weddings” and social outings with their sham spouses to use in fraudulently applying for immigration status.

🔗: https://t.co/Tii2cmqsAa

— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) October 21, 2026