Thread: Woman gets more than 3 years in prison in SoCal marriage fra

Woman gets more than 3 years in prison in SoCal marriage 09/11/07 21:24:17

A woman who took part in a sophisticated marriage scam that charged foreigners seeking citizenship up to $60,000 for a mate has been sentenced to more than three years in prison, authorities said Tuesday.
Tina Tran, 47, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and three years probation Monday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said. She pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy and visa fraud charges.

Tran was accused of being a key conspirator in a fraud ring targeting Chinese and Vietnamese nationals. Prosecutors said the Orange County-based ring has been linked to as many as 70 sham marriages and the filing of more than 100 bogus visa petitions.

The ring went to elaborate lengths to make the scam work, including posing for wedding pictures, fabricating love letters and creating fraudulent joint tax returns, authorities said.

It came under scrutiny after authorities noticed some of the defendants were seeking green cards for more than one spouse. The investigation, dubbed Operation Newlywed Game, has resulted in the conviction of 49 defendants on charges of conspiracy, misuse of visas, making false statements in passport applications, marriage fraud and inducing aliens to enter the country illegally, ICE said.

Tran, who recruited participants for the sham marriages, was arrested in November 2005. At the time, she was in state custody for her involvement with a major identity theft and credit card fraud ring.

http://www.fresnobee.com/384/story/136171.html

Tina Tran, 47, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and three years probation Monday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said. She pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy and visa fraud charges

The article is silent as to whether monetary fines were imposed. I hope they were. At $60,000 a pop, she has surely accumulated some assets. They should be seized.