Massachusetts Woman Accused of Orchestrating Multi-Million Dollar Green Card Marriage Scam

A Massachusetts woman is accused of orchestrating a large-scale marriage fraud scheme, allegedly earning millions of dollars by arranging sham marriages for illegal immigrants seeking green cards.

Jennifer Gonzalez, 43, of Fall River, allegedly masterminded the operation, which prosecutors claim involved hundreds of fraudulent marriages over approximately 12 years. She and five other American women are facing federal charges, including marriage fraud, conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, harboring illegal aliens, and conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens.

According to an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts, Gonzalez charged between $38,000 and $40,000 per migrant to arrange these fake marriages. Her operation is said to have averaged between 18 and 20 fraudulent unions annually.

Federal prosecutors allege that Gonzalez instructed couples to take joint selfies, establish joint bank accounts, and obtain life insurance policies to create the appearance of legitimate marriages. She also reportedly instructed a cooperating witness that contracts for the sham marriages would intentionally omit mention of the spouse to avoid incriminating language.

One of the alleged co-conspirators, Cherice Alejandro, 39, is reported to have been previously married twice to Brazilian nationals who lacked legal status in the U.S. at the time, with immigration investigators deeming both marriages fraudulent. Gonzalez allegedly referred to Alejandro as the "best option" for a witness seeking a sham marriage, describing the women involved as "very, very vetted."

Gonzalez allegedly told a witness cooperating with investigators that she had been "doing this for more than ten years" and was "very good at" arranging the fraudulent marriages. She indicated that a sham marriage typically lasted three to three-and-a-half years, with preparation of fraudulent paperwork taking three to four months. When asked about the possibility of a sham wife falling in love, Gonzalez reportedly stated, "We're not here for love."

Customers allegedly made ongoing monthly payments of $500 to their fake spouses to maintain the illusion of a genuine marriage. Images included in the affidavit reportedly show Jessica Tavares in May 2018 and Erica Daniels in August 2024, allegedly entering into sham marriages with individuals authorities identified as illegal migrants from Brazil.

In recorded conversations described in the affidavit, Gonzalez reportedly mentioned pausing her activities around 2014 when her husband became ill and "when Trump was becoming a president," citing stricter immigration policies. She also allegedly stated that she used money from the scheme to purchase property and assets in the Dominican Republic, which she referred to as "my country."

U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, Leah Foley, stated that Gonzalez "got rich off selling the American dream, all the while investing her money in another country." Foley also alleged that Gonzalez defrauded the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from 2019 through 2026, receiving over $124,000 in benefits.

Gonzalez, Amara Pugh (31), Erica Daniels (29), Cherice Alejandro (39), and Jessica Tavares (31) were arrested on Wednesday morning. Jalyn Hill, 26, is reportedly already in state prison serving a sentence for a firearms offense. The six women were scheduled to make their initial court appearances on Wednesday afternoon.