A Cherry Hill man and a Newark woman are facing federal charges following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark uncovered an alleged sham marriage to intended immigration benefits.
Elvis Harizaj, 25, an Albanian national, has been charged with marriage fraud. Harizaj and his wife, 27-year-old Natasha Flores, a US citizen, were both charged with providing false statements on immigration forms submitted to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Federal prosecutors claim Harizaj and Flores misrepresented their living arrangements and personal histories to USCIS. Harizaj allegedly claimed to live with Flores, and Flores falsely claimed she had never been married. Investigators later determined Flores had previously married a Brazilian national who had earned US citizenship through his marriage to her.
The charges were announced on May 28 by the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey in Camden. Each offense carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release.
According to investigators, the case highlights ongoing efforts to identify and prosecute those who exploit the US immigration system through false claims and fraudulent marriages. ICE officials say the case serves as a reminder that marriage fraud is a serious federal felony.
The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
