HOUSTON, Texas (AP) -- Two women were indicted Tuesday on charges they arranged fraudulent marriages for profit between U.S. citizens and people from Africa and the Middle East seeking green cards, officials said Tuesday.
An investigation began when an employee in the Milam County clerk's office northwest of Houston became suspicious after noticing some people got married multiple times in one year, said U.S. Attorney Michael Shelby at a news conference.
Prosecutors said the foreign nationals paid up to $5,000 for the arranged marriages.
"The green card is the thing," Shelby said. "That is the holy grail that is sought by people who want to immigrate to the United States because that is the card that allows them what they really are after, which is employment in this country."
Aminata Smith, 43, and Emma Guyton, 46, were each charged with four counts of inducing illegal immigration, four counts of marriage fraud and one count of conspiracy. The felony charges could bring up to 70 years in prison and more than $2 million in fines for each woman.
Thirty-six U.S. citizens who were paid between $150 and $500 for their participation in the scheme were charged with one count each of marriage fraud, which carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and $250,000 fine, Shelby said.
Guyton and Smith and 14 the U.S. citizens in custody made their first court appearances later Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances Stacy. Guyton, Smith and nine others were released on bond. Guyton and Smith could not be reached for comment, and it was unclear if they had attorneys yet.
Officials said about 60 U.S. citizens took part in the scheme.
An undetermined number of the foreign nationals were in custody and the others were being sought. All face likely deportation once the criminal proceedings have taken place.
According to Shelby, the women made deals with the potential immigrants before they arrived in Texas, charging them between $1,500 and $5,000 to have the marriages arranged.
Typically, they entered the country legally with documents such as student visas, then participated in sham marriages that let them apply for green cards, which allow immigrants permanent legal residency.
The 210 marriages took place between April 2000 and July 2003, Shelby said.
The foreign nationals came from Algeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Guinea, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda, prosecutors said.
