Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts said on Wednesday that they have busted a massive marriage-fraud operation that allegedly made millions of dollars arranging sham marriages between U.S. citizens and illegal aliens seeking the country's immigration benefits.
Six people have been charged in connection with the scheme, which apparently operated for more than 10 years and arranged hundreds of phony marriages.
The mastermind of the entire operation was 43-year-old Jennifer Gonzalez of Fall River, MA, whom prosecutors say ran a full-service sham-marriage business and charged between $38,000 and $40,000 per marriage. The U.S. Attorney's Office estimates she may have arranged 18 to 20 sham marriages every year for at least a decade.
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley laid out the details during a Wednesday press conference.
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley for @DMANews1: "The alleged mastermind behind this marriage fraud scheme is Jennifer Gonzales, a United States citizen who was allegedly responsible for fraudulently arranging sham marriages in Massachusetts for over a decade. Gonzales allegedly charged… https://t.co/WhwQC3nEkr pic.twitter.com/Fbomy01Fj2
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) October 21, 2026
"On the low end, this conspiracy netted [Gonzalez] $6 million during the course of the alleged scam," Foley said.
According to prosecutors, Gonzalez wasn't exactly shy about flaunting her newfound wealth and revealing where she was spending it.
"So what did Ms. Gonzalez do with this money?" Foley asked. "In her words, which were recorded by a cooperating witness, she bragged that she invested her ill-gotten proceeds in businesses and property in the Dominican Republic, which she repeatedly referred to as 'my country.'"
In one recorded conversation quoted by Foley, Gonzalez allegedly said, "Every time I have a spare dollar, I just invest in new property in my country."
"That's what I really do," she allegedly continued. "I like to buy land. Like, I have a lot of land in my country."
Gonzalez is also alleged to have coached her clients on how to make their fake marriages look legitimate, advising them to open joint bank accounts, take lots of photographs together, and purchase life insurance.
Oh, it gets better.
Apparently, per the prosecutors, she also snagged and spent more than $120,000 in SNAP benefits at the same time she was being paid big bucks to arrange the sham marriages.
The federal complaint contains another remarkable detail: Gonzalez allegedly touted Massachusetts itself as an especially friendly place to pull off the fraud.
During conversations recorded by a cooperating witness, she allegedly described the state as a "sanctuary" and told the person, "Massachusetts is the best place for you to be."
She also allegedly pointed to benefits available to immigrants, saying, "You get health insurance. Um, you get a lot of help as an immigrant here."
Busted alongside Jennifer Gonzalez were: Erica Daniels, 29, of Fall River, MA; Chreise Alejandro, 39, of Fall River, MA.; Amara Pugh, 31, of Fall River, MA.; Jessica Tavares, 31, of Attleboro, MA.; and Jaylin Hill, 26, of Fall River, MA.