ALBUQUERQUE - Yi Lee, 44, a naturalized U.S. citizen residing in Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to a felony charge arising out of a scheme to obtain immigration status for foreign nationals through fraudulent marriages.
On April 19, 2017, Lee and his five co-defendants -Chia-Jung Chang, 39, Dan Zheng, 33, Lian Xiang Deng, 42, and Xiao-Yin Le, 50, all Chinese nationals illegally in the United States, and Santiago Aveles, 31, of Las Cruces - were indicted and charged with participating in a conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. The indictment also charged Aveles and Zheng with committing marriage fraud for the purpose of evading the federal immigration laws.
The indictment alleged that from June 2016 through March 2017, the six defendants conspired to obtain immigration status for foreign nationals by committing marriage fraud. The scheme involved having U.S. citizens enter into fraudulent marriages with foreign nationals in return for financial gain. Lee allegedly facilitated the conspiracy by arranging meetings between foreign nationals and U.S. citizens and assisting them in obtaining marriage licenses, working permits and green cards for the foreign nationals who paid Lee and the U.S. citizens. According to the indictment, Lee allegedly attempted to arrange fraudulent marriages between certain of his co-defendants and undercover law enforcement agents.
During today’s proceedings, Lee pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. In entering the guilty plea, Lee admitted that from Jan. 2016 through May 2017, he recruited United States citizens including Aveles and other individuals who unbeknownst to Lee were undercover law enforcement agents to enter into fraudulent marriages with foreign nationals for the purpose of evading immigration laws. According to the plea agreement, Lee told the sham marriage participants to document their respective relationships by taking photos together, exchanging messages, opening joint bank accounts, renting properties together and having bills put under both participants’ names. Lee further admitted that he assisted the participants with immigration paperwork and in passing off the fraudulent marriages as legitimate during interviews with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
In entering the guilty plea, Lee also admitted that he coordinated a payment schedule for the United States citizens participating in the fraudulent marriages, who were to receive payments after taking certain steps such as obtaining a marriage license, participating in a fraudulent marriage, submitting paperwork, and participating in interviews. Lee further admitted that each United States citizen participant was paid approximately $25,000, and Lee also received payment for his role in the conspiracy in return for citizenship for the foreign nationals.
On Aug. 4, 2017, Aveles pled guilty to a felony information charging him with conspiracy and marriage fraud. Zheng pled guilty and was sentenced on Aug. 28, 2017. Charges against Deng were dismissed on July 25, 2017.
At sentencing, Lee and Aveles each face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing hearings have yet to be scheduled.
Chang has entered a plea of not guilty to the indictment. Le has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive. Charges in indictments are merely accusations, and all criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of HSI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin C. Segovia and Marisa A. Ong of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
