A federal grand jury in Maryland indicted four people in a case involving visa and marriage fraud schemes. This case has piqued the interest of immigration authorities, highlighting the exploitation of marriage ties to secure lawful status. The accused, Ella Zuran, 65; Tatiana Sigal, 74; and Alexandra Tkach, 41, all of New York City; and Shawnta Hopper, 33, of Sicklerville, New Jersey, are charged with conspiracy to commit visa and marriage fraud, according to a statement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
The gravity of the charges is highlighted by comments from U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who stated that such fraudulent operations jeopardize the integrity of the US immigration system. The grand jury’s decision to indict echoes the government’s zero-tolerance policy toward immigration fraud. According to the formal release from the US Attorney’s Office, Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy stated that marriage fraud “is not a victimless crime” and erodes public trust in an immigration process that many people seek in good faith.
Peeling back the layers of the indictment, the defendants are accused of arranging sham weddings by combining US citizens with non-citizens seeking immigration advantages for which they were not meant to qualify. These arrangements allegedly included the creation of counterfeit papers designed to deceive the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), as well as the exchange of money for bogus unions.
If found guilty, the defendants may face up to five years in federal prison. It is important to note that the indictment is only a charge, and as with other defendants in the United States judicial system, they are deemed innocent until and unless proven guilty in later legal processes. U.S. Attorney Hayes has commended the Homeland Security Investigations’ Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, as well as USCIS’ Fraud Detection and National Security Unit—Baltimore, for their investigative work. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Spencer Todd and Michael Aubin.
