11 charged in Florida-based military marriage fraud scheme
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Eleven people have been charged in Florida in connection with a marriage fraud scheme that involved recruiting U.S. military personnel to marry Chinese citizens.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said the scheme was orchestrated by a Chinese transnational ring that recruited military members to participate in sham marriages so that Chinese citizens could receive immigration benefits and access cards to U.S. military installations.
“This investigation underscores the critical role HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) plays in protecting our nation from transnational criminal organizations that exploit our customs and immigration laws and threaten our national security,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge Michael Cochran.
“Thanks to the dedication and expertise of our agents and partners, we successfully investigated, disrupted and dismantled a complex criminal network operating across borders.”
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The national flags of the United States and China fly at the Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai, China, on April 25, 2024. Federal prosecutors allege that a Chinese ring recruited U.S. military officers to marry Chinese citizens through sham marriages. (Wang Gang/VCG via Getty Images)
Fake marriages have occurred across the country, including New York, Connecticut and Nevada, as well as Jacksonville, Florida.
To support claims that the marriages were real, the suspects took photographs of the couples to create evidence that could be presented to immigration authorities to suggest they were in loving, committed relationships.
In reality, the suspects had agreed to a payment plan in which the U.S. citizen spouse would receive a down payment in exchange for marrying a Chinese citizen, a second payment once legal immigration status was obtained, and a final payment after the divorce.
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Aerial view of USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower together in the eastern Mediterranean, November 3, 2023. (U.S. Navy Janae Chambers/Declaration/Anatolia via Getty Images)
Between March 2024 and February 2025, five people were charged with marriage fraud conspiracy:
- Anny Chen, 54, from New York. He was also charged with marriage fraud and bribery conspiracy.
- Kiah Holly, 29, from Maryland.
- Kin Man Cheok, 32, of China, was also charged with bribery conspiracy between November 2024 and February 14, 2025.
- Hailing Feng, 27, of New York, was also charged with bribery conspiracy.
- Xionghu Fang, 41, from China.
Former U.S. Navy soldiers Raymond Zumba, Brinio Urena, Morgan Chambers and Jacinth Bailey pleaded guilty to charges related to the same scheme. Their sentences continue.
Federal prosecutors also allege that Anny Chen, Hailing Feng and Kin Man Cheok conspired to bribe a public official. Zumba, who was serving in the Navy Reserve, allegedly offered bribes to an unidentified source and the source’s wife, who worked in the personnel office at Naval Air Station Jacksonville that issues War Department identification cards.
Zumba allegedly asked if his wife would be willing to provide genuine but unauthorized identification cards for under-the-table payment. The source reported the plan to authorities and continued to communicate with Zumba.
A Malaysian Muslim man allegedly married an 11-year-old girl. (iStock)
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After setting off from New York, Zumba arrived in Jacksonville on February 13, 2025, along with Anny Chen, Feng, and Cheok.
He brought them to Naval Air Station Jacksonville; There, the source’s wife took them to the personnel office after working hours and began the process of obtaining Chen and Cheok’s ID cards. The next day, Zumba met with the source, who allegedly gave him two cards in exchange for $3,500.
Authorities said Zumba was immediately arrested and the cards were seized.
