Several Filipinos were arrested in the United States for allegedly arranging sham marriages for Filipinos wanting to marry American citizens in exchange for $3,000 in a move to legalize their stay in the US and eventually get American citizenship. Maria Cruz, 49, a former Cook County traffic court employee, and five other people, arranged up to 15 fake marriages between 2003 and 2009. Cruz, formerly of Chicago and currently living in American Canyon, California, was arrested on an initial complaint in late August but was released on a $200,000 secured bond. Last week, Cruz and five other people accused in the scheme, including 53-year-old Chicago immigration lawyer Manny Aguja, two of his employees — his twin brother Marc Aguja and Celeste Ligutan-Lopez, were also arrested, the Philippine News reported. Federal authorities said court records unsealed on Nov. 23 showed that Cruz paid a fee for referrals to US citizens willing to enter into the fake marriages. According to authorities, Cruz allegedly promised the US citizens they would be paid about $3,000 upfront for the marriage and $300 to $350 for each month until the non-citizen got citizenship. “Cruz would even drive people to their purported weddings and take pictures before and after to make it appear that real ceremonies had taken place. She would also advise participants in the scam on how to make their marriages seem real to immigration officials,” according to federal authorities. In addition to the 15 false marriages, Cruz also allegedly tried to arrange two other marriages for undercover US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Cruz has been charged with 10 counts of marriage fraud while the Aguja brothers have been charged with “conspiracy to induce foreign nationals to reside illegally in the United States.”
