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19 arrested in immigration marriage scheme


ARLINGTON, Va. Nineteen people in the Washington area have been arrested and charged with participating in an extensive scheme of sham marriages arranged to skirt immigration laws.

At a news conference today in Arlington, U-S Attorney Chuck Rosenberg said investigators believe the ring may have facilitated up to one-thousand phony marriages.

Rosenberg said in some cases the couples never met until they showed up at the county courthouse for their marriage license. The investigation began after a clerk in Arlington noticed a pattern of suspicious behavior.

Authorities say most of the people involved in the scheme were from Ghana and were seeking permanent U-S residency. American citizens who participated in the scheme received payments to enter into the marriages.