Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts charged six residents on October 21, 2026, alleging they ran a sham marriage scheme to help immigrants obtain legal status. Five defendants were arrested that morning. One is serving a state prison sentence.
The defendants are Jennifer Gonzalez, 43, and Erica Daniels, 29, both of Fall River; Chreise Alejandro, 39, of Fall River; Amara Pugh, 31, of Fall River; Jessica Tavares, 31, of Attleboro; and Jaylin Hill, 26, of Fall River. Prosecutors describe Gonzalez as the business operator and Pugh as its “secretary.”
Hill was not among those arrested because he is serving a state sentence for a firearms offense. Initial appearances were scheduled for that day: Hill at 12:45 p.m.; Daniels and Pugh at 2 p.m.; Alejandro and Tavares at 2:45 p.m.; and Gonzalez at 3:15 p.m.
The announcement lists four charges, including conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and marriage fraud. It does not list a separate charge of obtaining U.S. citizenship.
Prosecutors say the business arranged marriages and coached customers
Court documents allege Gonzalez ran a business that took payments from immigrants and arranged sham marriages to secure immigration status. She allegedly paid Daniels, Alejandro, Tavares and Hill, all U.S. citizens, to marry customers. Pugh, also a U.S. citizen, allegedly worked as the secretary.
The operation allegedly arranged about 18 to 20 marriages a year and charged $38,000 to $40,000 per marriage. U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said it generated over $6 million in profit and operated for more than a decade. Gonzalez allegedly made hundreds of thousands of dollars a year over at least the last 10 years.
Most of the men who paid for the arrangements were Brazilian nationals seeking green cards, federal officials said. Gonzalez allegedly told customers documentation would take three to four months to prepare before they could apply for immigration status. She required them to sign service “contracts.”
The alleged coaching included opening joint bank accounts, taking out life insurance policies and taking selfie-style photographs as a couple. Customers commonly paid $500 each month to the assigned spouse or someone close to that person while the marriage continued.
A contract made public by the Justice Department set out an agreement dated June 28, 2024. It reads: “I Jennifer González, on June 28, 2024, enter into a contract with sum of 26000 for a period of 2 and half years with a deposit of $600, and 10000 de day of. with 500 monthly statements until the full amount is paid”.
Investigators recorded Gonzalez directing a customer to print and sign a document disguised as a loan agreement. She allegedly accepted a $3,000 cash down payment for arranging a marriage. She told the customer the contract avoided naming the spouse because doing so would be “incriminating,” and said she designed the paperwork to conceal its purpose.
A participant's tip led investigators to an undercover operation
A Brazilian citizen who sought to use the business alerted authorities. He said he had entered into a sham marriage with Daniels. Investigators then sent an undercover operative to arrange a marriage through Alejandro.
Alejandro had previously married two immigrants and applied to the Department of Homeland Security for legal status for both, according to the allegations. Daniels filed an application seeking legal immigrant status for the men. The agency became suspicious of the union, and Daniels canceled the petition last year.
Officials condemned the alleged sale of immigration access
Foley called the operation “a very sophisticated operation” and said the tip may have stopped it from continuing longer. She criticized a business she said let people pay to skip the immigration process.
“The American dream is not for sale. It is earned. And when you try to pilfer it for profit, we will hold you accountable.”
Foley also said, “Ms. Gonzalez got rich off selling the American Dream all the while investing her money in another country.” Recordings captured Gonzalez saying she used the proceeds to buy businesses and real estate in the Dominican Republic. “Every time I have a spare dollar I just invest in new property in my country,” she said. “Like, I have a lot of land in my country.”
John Soares, assistant special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England, said marriage fraud undermines lawful marriages between U.S. citizens and people seeking the benefits of living in the United States. Shawn Saucier, northeast regional chief of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said: “This case sends a clear message. Marriage is not a loophole, it is not a shortcut, and it is not a tool for gaming U.S. immigration laws. Marriage fraud is not victimless.”
Recordings also captured Gonzalez telling an undercover operative she wanted him to get “the American Dream,” and saying the arrangement would be “worth every single dollar.” She said she stopped arranging weddings at the end of 2024, when Trump was becoming president, and described immigration in 2025 as “a little harsh.” In another conversation, she said she had not worked in 2025 because immigration was harsh. She described Massachusetts as a “sanctuary” jurisdiction where immigrants received help.
The investigation remains open as officials review other allegations
Foley said the investigation is ongoing and could lead to charges against people found to have obtained legal status through the operation. None of the immigrants who entered the marriages has been charged.
Foley said Gonzalez applied for and received approximately $124,500 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from Massachusetts between 2019 and 2026. She allegedly failed to list income from the business or other people in her household on the applications.
Foley also cited Gonzalez’s prior convictions for assault and battery, identity fraud and fraud, illegal entry, possession of burglar’s tools, and knowingly receiving stolen property. She said Gonzalez had entered a fraudulent marriage herself to help another person obtain benefits. The other defendants also had criminal histories involving assault, weapons and drug charges, and affiliations with known street gangs.
Gonzalez said her husband became ill in 2024, and that she worried Trump was becoming president and had “a lot of immigration powers.” Foley said Gonzalez continued to refer to the father of her children as her husband. An attorney for Gonzalez could not be reached for comment.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said prosecutors are continuing the investigation.
