California Father and Daughter Sentenced For Organizing Green Card Marriages For Chinese Nationals

April 18, 2017

A California woman and her father were both found guilty of running an illegal business that helps Chinese nationals obtain a green card via fake marriages with U.S. citizens.

According to NDTV, a 44-year-old Lynn Leung and her 67-year-old father, Jason Shiao, ran an illegal immigration business in Santa Fe Springs. The report said that the father and daughter staged more than 70 fake marriages over a decade for Chinese nationals who are willing to pay $50,000 in exchange for a “green card.” They were arrested in 2015 after a three-year investigation

The process starts with hiring a U.S. citizen or a homeless person in need of money to pair to a Chinese client. Then, they stage wedding photos, honeymoon, and other details to support the validity of the relationship.

Leung and Shiao, who posed as immigration lawyers, coached their clients on how to avoid getting busted by officers.

AsiaOne reported that the father and daughter earned up to $3.5 million from their scam. Most U.S. citizens who were hired also reported that Leung and Shiao never gave them payment after being promised $10,000 to participate.

Leung was sentenced to six months jail time and was asked to pay $4,000 as a fine. After release, she will be monitored for three years.

Meanwhile, her father Shiao will be receiving his sentence on April 24.

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