BOSTON (KNX) — A citizen of the Philippines residing in Los Angeles was arrested Thursday on federal charges connected with a wide-reaching marriage fraud scheme. With 10 others, the suspect allegedly arranged hundreds of sham marriages to acquire green cards for participants.
Marcialtio “Mars” Biol Benitez, 48, has been charged along with his co-conspirators with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. Benitez allegedly operated an agency that arranged marriages between foreign nationals and U.S. citizens, federal prosecutors said.
Benitez’s business then prepared and submitted false petitions, applications, and other official documents to secure clients’ immigration statuses for fees between $20,000 and $30,000 in cash.
"We believe their alleged scheme broke immigration laws that are in place to protect public safety and created a disadvantage for those seeking to earn their citizenship lawfully,'' said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the Boston office of the FBI. "This case should serve as a warning to others that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are united in our efforts to disrupt and dismantle criminal enterprises that seek to circumvent our laws by fraudulent means.''
Federal prosecutors said Benitez operated the agency out of offices in L.A., where he employed co-conspirators as staff.
Benitez and his staff would allegedly also assist certain clients -- typically those whose spouses became unresponsive or uncooperative --with obtaining green cards under the Violence Against Women Act by claiming the undocumented clients had been abused by alleged American spouses, prosecutors said.
The charge of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Related
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok