History of Marriage Fraud Cases in Miami
1. Michael Roy Fraser Case (2018)
- Michael Roy Fraser, a Jamaican national, was involved in a multi-year fraudulent marriage scheme. Fraser paid a U.S. citizen between $8,000 and $10,000 to enter into a fake marriage. This allowed him to get U.S. residency and later become a U.S. citizen.
- The scam was discovered by USCIS officers who noticed differences in Fraser’s application for his Jamaican spouse’s permanent residency. They found out that Fraser and his spouse had a child together before their fake marriage.
- Fraser was convicted of unlawfully procuring citizenship and misuse of evidence of citizenship or naturalization. For more details, you can check this source here.
2. Yamira Sanchez Case (2021)
- Federal prosecutors charged Yamira Sanchez for helping foreign men get U.S. green cards through fake marriages with Cuban-born women in South Florida.
- Sanchez, who owned Immigration Consultant and Immigration Corp., made money by arranging these fake marriages. The men paid thousands of dollars to marry the women.
- The women, who were U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, were recruited to marry the men, allowing those men to gain lawful permanent residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act. More info is available here.
3. South Florida Immigration Consultant Case (2021)
- Yamira Sanchez was also charged with planning to commit marriage fraud and unlawfully encouraging an alien to stay in the U.S. If found guilty, she and her co-conspirators could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.
- This case showed the role of immigration consultants in making marriage fraud schemes happen. To know more, you can read further here.
4. Twenty-Seven South Florida Residents Charged (2015)
- Back in 2015, twenty-seven South Florida residents were charged with marriage and immigration fraud. They charged aliens a fee to enter into fake marriages, which were then used to get immigration benefits.
- U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents were involved in this scam. Full story is available here.
The Role of Immigration Consultants
History of Marriage Fraud Cases in Miami
1. Michael Roy Fraser Case (2018)
- Michael Roy Fraser, a Jamaican national, was involved in a multi-year fraudulent marriage scheme. Fraser paid a U.S. citizen between $8,000 and $10,000 to enter into a fake marriage. This allowed him to get U.S. residency and later become a U.S. citizen.
- The scam was discovered by USCIS officers who noticed differences in Fraser’s application for his Jamaican spouse’s permanent residency. They found out that Fraser and his spouse had a child together before their fake marriage.
- Fraser was convicted of unlawfully procuring citizenship and misuse of evidence of citizenship or naturalization. For more details, you can check this source here.
2. Yamira Sanchez Case (2021)
- Federal prosecutors charged Yamira Sanchez for helping foreign men get U.S. green cards through fake marriages with Cuban-born women in South Florida.
- Sanchez, who owned Immigration Consultant and Immigration Corp., made money by arranging these fake marriages. The men paid thousands of dollars to marry the women.
- The women, who were U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, were recruited to marry the men, allowing those men to gain lawful permanent residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act. More info is available here.
3. South Florida Immigration Consultant Case (2021)
- Yamira Sanchez was also charged with planning to commit marriage fraud and unlawfully encouraging an alien to stay in the U.S. If found guilty, she and her co-conspirators could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.
- This case showed the role of immigration consultants in making marriage fraud schemes happen. To know more, you can read further here.
4. Twenty-Seven South Florida Residents Charged (2015)
- Back in 2015, twenty-seven South Florida residents were charged with marriage and immigration fraud. They charged aliens a fee to enter into fake marriages, which were then used to get immigration benefits.
- U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents were involved in this scam. Full story is available here.
The Role of Immigration Consultants
Notable Example: Yamira Sanchez
- Yamira Sanchez ran a company called Immigration Consultant and Immigration Corp.
- Her business arranged marriages between foreign nationals, mostly men, and Cuban-born women who were U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.
- The men paid thousands of dollars to Sanchez for these arrangements to obtain lawful permanent residency in the U.S. through marriage.
- Further information about the charges against Sanchez can be read here.
General Involvement
- Immigration consultants often play a crucial role in marriage fraud schemes.
- They prepare, notarize, and file the necessary paperwork, making it easier for fake marriages to proceed.
- By handling the logistics, these consultants enable individuals to evade immigration laws, facilitating their unlawful entry and residence in the U.S.
- This role highlights how significant and organized these operations can be. More details on a Miami case can be found here.
Emerging Trends in Marriage Fraud
Cryptocurrency Payments
- Cryptocurrency is becoming a popular form of payment for illegal activities, including potentially marriage fraud schemes.
- Cryptocurrency transactions offer anonymity and are easy to transfer, making it harder for law enforcement to track and identify the involved parties.
- While there is no specific evidence that immigration consultants are currently using cryptocurrency, the trend in other illicit activities is a growing concern.
- For further insights into cryptocurrency and its impact on illegal activities, check this detailed article on BBC.
Complexity and Scale
- Using cryptocurrency adds another layer of complexity to tracking and prosecuting marriage fraud cases.
- The anonymity and difficulty in tracing cryptocurrency make it challenging for authorities to detect and prove these fraudulent activities.
- This could potentially complicate the overall landscape of marriage fraud, making it more difficult to combat effectively.
- These complexities highlight the need for keeping up-to-date with emerging trends and technologies in fighting fraud.
Fabiola Carisimo and Miami’s Marriage Fraud Factory
Extensive and Organized Schemes
At the center of this controversy is Fabiola Carisimo, a Miami realtor accused of paying $20,000 to orchestrate a fraudulent two-week marriage to secure U.S. residency. On paper, the marriage was presented as legitimate, with affidavits and documentation to back her claim. But investigators quickly uncovered inconsistencies, raising questions about the authenticity of the arrangement.