Chinese criminal gang allegedly recruited Navy members for sham marriages and base access

Eleven radical were charged successful Florida successful an alleged matrimony fraud strategy that progressive the recruitment of U.S. subject work members to wed Chinese citizens. 

The strategy was orchestrated by a Chinese transnational pack that recruited subject members to enactment successful fraudulent marriages truthful that Chinese citizens could get migration benefits and entree cards for U.S. subject installations, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

"This probe underscores the captious relation that HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) plays successful protecting our federation from transnational transgression organizations that question to exploit our customs and migration laws and endanger our nationalist security," said HSI Tampa acting Special Agent successful Charge Michael Cochran. 

"Through the dedication and expertise of our agents and partners, we person successfully investigated, disrupted and dismantled a blase transgression web operating crossed borders."

CHINESE NATIONAL CHARGED WITH PHOTOGRAPHING US STEALTH BOMBER BASE AFTER ILLEGAL ENTRY

The nationalist flags of the United States and China flutter astatine the Fairmont Peace Hotel April 25, 2024, successful Shanghai, China. Federal prosecutors allege a Chinese pack recruited U.S. subject work members to wed Chinese nationals successful fraudulent marriages.  (Wang Gang/VCG via Getty Images)

The sham marriages took spot astir the country, including successful Jacksonville, Florida, arsenic good arsenic successful New York, Connecticut and Nevada. 

To bolster claims that the marriages were genuine, the suspects took photographs of the couples to make grounds that could beryllium presented to migration authorities to suggest they were successful loving, committed relationships.

In reality, the suspects had agreed to a outgo program whereby the U.S. national spouse would person a currency outgo up beforehand for marrying the Chinese national, a 2nd outgo erstwhile ineligible migration presumption was obtained and a last outgo aft a divorce.

FORMER US NAVY SAILOR LEARNS SENTENCE FOR SPYING FOR CHINA

An aerial presumption of the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower unneurotic successful eastbound Mediterranean Nov. 3, 2023.  (U.S. Navy Janae Chambers/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Five radical were charged with matrimony fraud conspiracy betwixt March 2024 and February 2025:

• Anny Chen, 54, of New York. She was besides charged with matrimony fraud and bribery conspiracy.
• Kiah Holly, 29, of Maryland.
• Kin Man Cheok, 32, of China, who was besides charged with bribery conspiracy betwixt November 2024 and Feb. 14, 2025.
• Hailing Feng, 27, of New York, who was besides charged with bribery conspiracy.
• Xionghu Fang, 41, of China.

Raymond Zumba, Brinio Urena, Morgan Chambers and Jacinth Bailey, erstwhile U.S. Navy work members, person each pleaded blameworthy to charges related to the aforesaid scheme. Their sentences are pending. 

Federal prosecutors besides allege that Anny Chen, Hailing Feng and Kin Man Cheok conspired to bribe a nationalist official. Zumba, who served successful the Navy Reserve, allegedly offered to bribe an unidentified root and the source’s spouse who worked astatine Naval Air Station Jacksonville successful the unit bureau that issues Department of War recognition cards. 

Zumba allegedly asked whether the spouse would beryllium consenting to contented real, but unauthorized, ID cards for an under-the-table payment. The root reported the program to authorities and continued to pass with Zumba. 

A Muslim antheral from Malaysia allegedly joined an 11-year-old girl. (iStock)

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After driving from New York, Zumba arrived successful Jacksonville Feb. 13, 2025, with Anny Chen, Feng and Cheok.

He brought them to the Naval Air Station Jacksonville, wherever the source’s spouse fto them into the unit bureau aft concern hours and initiated the process for Chen and Cheok to person ID cards. The pursuing day, Zumba met with the source, who allegedly gave him 2 cards successful speech for $3,500. 

Zumba was promptly arrested, and the cards were recovered, authorities said.