18 are accused in sham-marriage ring
9 U.S. citizens paid $5,000 per wedding, fed authorities say
By Jeff Coen
Tribune staff reporter
Published June 12, 2007
Federal authorities say they have broken up a ring that allegedly used sham marriages to obtain green cards for foreign nationals by linking them to U.S. citizens in exchange for cash payments.
An indictment unsealed Monday accused nine U.S. citizens and nine Eastern Europeans of marriage fraud. Authorities said the U.S. citizens were paid up to $5,000 for each marriage and worked with each other to make the fake relationships appear real.
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"The U.S. citizens took steps to further each other's marriage frauds, including driving each other to and attending each other's weddings and posing for photographs after the weddings," the indictment said, "well knowing that the photographs were to be used to support the legitimacy of the fraudulent marriages."
Accused as the ringleader was 31-year-old Jeremy Starnes of Chicago, who pleaded not guilty Monday in a brief hearing in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Arlander Keys. Appearing with him and also pleading not guilty were Svetlana Kostigova, 25, of Schaumburg and Tammy Daniels, 37; Leonard Leonte, 33; and Tina Chaney, 33, all of Chicago.
Arrest warrants have been issued for the other defendants, officials said.
Starnes promised U.S. citizens who were part of the scam $1,000 on the day of the marriage, $1,000 three months later, $2,000 after a marriage interview with immigration officials and the final $1,000 after the foreign national received permanent status, authorities said.
Court documents alleged that Starnes and Kostigova entered into a sham marriage in 2002. Starnes also offered advice to couples who were part of the ring, authorities said.
All nine defendants who are citizens also were charged with conspiracy to commit immigration fraud, authorities said. Everyone charged faces up to 5 years in prison if convicted, Assistant U.S. Atty. Clifford Histed told the judge.
Court documents show that the last of the marriages -- between Leonte and Daniels -- took place in December. According to the indictment, Daniels was also charged with perjury for falsely telling a Citizenship and Immigation Services officer that she was the widow of a man who died in a car wreck.
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