Woman convicted for Fake Chinese Marriages

Lured by the greed of quick money, a San Francisco woman who brokered fraudulent marriages mainly between Chinese nationals and American residents to help Chinese nationals settle in US was sentenced by US federal court for 19 months in prison.

Kwan Tsoi used to broker marriages between those aspiring for US citizenship and US nationals as well as also used to help them in managinf paper work to assist them get green cards. She advertised in Chinese-language newspapers and used to charge approximately $30,000 for her services.

She pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, six counts of marriage fraud and five counts of making false statements on immigration documents and was sentenced for 19 months in prison besides penalty of $250,000. she also ordered to serve three years of supervised release.

US Justice Office spokesman said that any violation of immigration law in US is being taken seriously and US is especially aggressive in identifying and prosecuting those involved in marriage frauds and marriage-related scams.

Two others were also charged for their alleged roles in Tsoi's operation. Henry Navarro has pleaded guilty to a felony count of conspiracy for serving as an official recorded witness in one fake marriage, according to prosecutors. Kelly Ecker has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor conspiracy charge for marrying a Chinese citizen in exchange for $17,000.

She was sentenced to two years' probation and must give a public speech to deter others from participating in fake marriages, according to U.S. Attorney's office.