Woman sentenced in immigration scam

June 15, 2011 7:02 PM

NEWS HERALD STAFF REPORT



PANAMA CITY -- The woman who organized fraudulent marriages in order to subvert immigration laws was sentenced in federal court Wednesday.

Teng Yi-Ping Sun (also known as Tina Sun), of Panama City was sentenced to nine months of house arrest followed by five years of probation, said Scott Springer, the resident agent in charge of ICE and Homeland Security investigations. Sun used her authority as a notary public to create fraudulent documents and also coordinated and arranged marriages so that the husband or wife could gain citizenship.

Springer said Sun coached people on how to answer questions before immigration officials and charged several thousand dollars per marriage. Sun’s home and some of her financial assets, including the money she made on these marriages, was also seized as part of the sentence, Springer said.

The federal government was successful in its goal of disrupting and dismantling the fraudulent marriage operation, Springer said. Those who try to illegally gain citizenship “pose a severe threat to public safety and national security,â€