Ten people, including at least five current or former Cook County traffic court employees, have been charged with taking part in a sham marriage scheme.
The scheme produced 15 bogus marriages designed to evade the immigration laws.
A Chicago immigration attorney was also among those charged in the 14-count federal indictment unsealed Monday.
Foreign nationals who marry U.S. citizens legitimately can get legal permanent resident status in this country.
Prosecutors say as part of the alleged fraud, foreign nationals paid thousands of dollars to take part in sham marriages to obtain legal status in the United States. They say most of those seeking the marriages were Filipino.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
The scheme produced 15 bogus marriages designed to evade the immigration laws.
A Chicago immigration attorney was also among those charged in the 14-count federal indictment unsealed Monday.
Foreign nationals who marry U.S. citizens legitimately can get legal permanent resident status in this country.
Prosecutors say as part of the alleged fraud, foreign nationals paid thousands of dollars to take part in sham marriages to obtain legal status in the United States. They say most of those seeking the marriages were Filipino.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
