6 women charged with organizing dozens of "sham marriages" to help immigrants get green cards in Massachusetts

Six women are facing federal charges after they allegedly charged thousands of dollars to organize "sham marriages" in Massachusetts to help undocumented immigrants get green cards and U.S. citizenship.

Jennifer Gonzalez, Amara Pugh, Erica Daniels, Cherice Alejandro, Jessica Tavares and Jalyn Hill are each charged with harboring illegal aliens, conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens and marriage fraud. Hill is currently serving a state prison sentence for a firearms offense. The other five women were arrested Wednesday morning.

U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley said at a news conference that Gonzalez was the mastermind of the scam. Foley said Gonzalez charged about $40,000 per marriage and arranged 18-20 sham marriages per year for the last decade.

Gonzalez, who is a U.S. citizen, has a criminal history with convictions that include assault and battery, identity fraud, and fraud.

Foley alleged that Gonzalez netted about $6 million throughout the course of the 10 years, and was heard on a recording telling a cooperating witness that she used the money to buy land in the Dominican Republic.

"Every time I have a spare dollar I just invest in new property in my country. That's what I really do. I like to buy land. Like, I have a lot of land in my country," Gonzalez said in the recording.

Pugh served as the secretary for the plan, Foley said, while the other four women were paid by Gonzalez and "customers" to participate in one or more fake marriages "for the sole purpose that customers could get citizenship." The women would enter fraudulent marriages with the men and stay married for several years to avoid suspicion. 

Foley said the women and their "customers" would take "couples photos" on the day the marriage became official to make the relationship look real. The undocumented immigrants would use the pictures while applying for citizenship.

Gonzalez was heard in one recording saying she "stopped doing weddings at the end of 2024 because that's when Trump was becoming president" and immigration in 2025 was "a little harsh."

Foley said Gonzalez also fraudulently collected over $124,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

The defendants face potential sentences totaling 25 years in prison on the three charges combined. 

"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," said Shawn Saucier, northeast regional chief of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.