10 indicted in 'sham marriage' immigration scam

November 23, 2009 1:22 PM

Ten people with Chicago connections have been indicted on federal charges of running a marriage fraud scheme that paid American citizens thousands of dollars to marry immigrants in an effort to skirt immigration laws, the U.S. attorney's office said today.

Federal authorities allege Maria Cruz, 49, and her co-defendants arranged up to 15 "sham marriages" in which non-U.S. citizens -- many of them Filipinos -- offered to pay Cruz $3,000 to arrange marriages with American citizens.

According to an indictment unsealed today, Cruz paid a fee for referrals to U.S. citizens willing to enter into the fake marriages. She allegedly promised them they would be paid about $3,000 up front for the marriage and $300 to $350 for each month until the non-citizen got citizenship.

The indictment alleges that between 2003 and 2009 Cruz would drive people to their purported weddings and take pictures before and after to make it appear that real ceremonies had taken place. She would also advise participants in the scam on how to make their marriages seem real to immigration officials, federal authorities allege.

Cruz, a former Cook County traffic court employee, was arrested in August in California. In addition to the 15 false marriages described in the indictment, Cruz allegedly tried to arrange two other marriages for undercover U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Five other people accused in the scheme were also arrested today, including Chicago immigration lawyer Manny Aguja, 53, and two of his employees -- his twin brother Marc Aguja and Celeste Ligutan-Lopez. Federal authorities allege the three drew up paperwork to corroborate the fraudulent marriages and coached participants in the scam on how to make the unions appear legitimate.

Also arrested today were Keisha McGary, 33, of Chicago, and Eugene Wilson, 30, also of Chicago.

Along with Cruz, the Agujas, Ligutan-Lopez, and four other defendants -- Maria Cyd Adriatico-Fernandez, 53, of Oak Brook, Sonia Maki, 43, of Chicago, DeShawn Barksdale, 39, of Chicago, and and Latrice Wilson, 37, of Chicago -- they have been charged with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Cruz has also been charged with 10 counts of marriage fraud and the Aguja brothers have been charged with conspiracy to induce foreign nationals to reside illegally in the United States.

Conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and marriage fraud carry a maximum penalty of five
years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

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