By: Richard L. Smith
A Newark woman from Essex County has confessed to being involved in a conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said in an announcement today.
According to federal officials, Regina Johnson, 59, admitted her guilt before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas at Newark federal court on August 8, 2023.
She pleaded guilty to one count in a revised indictment, which accused her and others of conspiring to assist non-U.S. citizens in fraudulent marriages with U.S. citizens, thereby harboring them.
According to court documents and verbal statements during the proceedings:
Between September 2016 and July 2019, Regina Johnson and her sister, Andrea Torres, organized and facilitated sham marriages for non-U.S. citizens who desired to remain in the U.S. despite lacking legal status or proper documentation.
Torres and Johnson recruited U.S. citizens who were willing to participate in fake marriages and compensated them for entering into these fictitious unions with non-citizen clients.
Philip Torres, the son of Andrea Torres and also implicated in the revised indictment, played a role in the scheme by overseeing some of the sham marriages.
Andrea Torres and Regina Johnson took steps to ensure the "couples" obtained fraudulent marriage licenses.
They also arranged and charged their clients for wedding ceremonies and subsequent gatherings that were designed to make sham marriages appear legitimate.
These two individuals advised their clients to create joint bank accounts and maintain frequent interactions with their U.S. spouses. Clients were instructed to take photos in various locations and clothing to create an illusion of living together, even though none of them intended to cohabit with their U.S. partners.
Andrea Torres and Regina Johnson further aided their clients in completing immigration paperwork, using materially false information, to secure permanent residency.
The charge to which Regina Johnson pleaded guilty, involving conspiracy, has a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in prison.
Additionally, there's a maximum fine of $250,000 or double the monetary gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever amount is greater.
Sentencing is planned for December 14, 2023.