https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2026-01-05/fake-marriage-navy-china-jacksonville-20305634.html

Two Navy sailors are facing federal charges for what authorities say were sham marriages with Chinese immigrants seeking U.S. residency.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Jacinth Bailey and Petty Officer 2nd Class Morgan Chambers are charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, federal court records show.

Bailey and Chambers were to receive $45,000 and $35,000, respectively, as part of the scheme to recruit American citizens, preferably U.S. service members, prosecutors said in separate filings last month in federal court in Jacksonville.

Bailey is an aviation boatswain’s mate assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. She enlisted in the Navy in September 2021, according to her official bio. Chambers enlisted in the service in June 2019 and is a personnel specialist assigned to the Navy Talent Acquisition Group in Jacksonville, her official bio says.

If convicted, Bailey and Chambers face up to five years in prison. Neither of them has appeared in court or entered a plea, but each waived their right to be formally indicted. Their attorneys declined comment on Monday, citing the pending case.

At least two other sailors are involved in the case.

In August, former Navy recruiter Brinio Urena pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, The New York Times reported on Friday.

As part of his plea deal, Urena admitted to marrying a Chinese woman for money in August 2024 and helping recruit fellow service members to do the same. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 21.

Navy reservist Raymond Zumba pleaded guilty in July to attempting to bribe a Naval Air Station Jacksonville official in exchange for fraudulent military identification cards for two ineligible people with links to China. Zumba’s sentencing in that case is set for Jan. 14.

Separately, he also faces a charge of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud related to his April 2024 wedding to a Chinese national, according to a Dec. 5 federal court filing in Jacksonville.

A Dec. 12 court entry indicates that Zumba agreed to plead guilty in the case. His attorney did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment.

Urena and Zumba were not named in charging documents for Bailey and Chambers.

But in their Dec. 5 filing, prosecutors said Zumba recruited Urena in May 2024 to enter a sham marriage. After Urena’s wedding, Zumba asked him to obtain a military identification card for his new wife because it would help the immigration process, according to the filing.

He also asked Urena “to help him find and recruit other U.S. citizens who would be willing to marry Chinese nationals and facilitate their immigration status for money,” the filing states.

In October 2024, Urena and an unidentified Navy sailor contacted another service member to recruit her for marriage to an unidentified Chinese national. About a month later, Urena introduced the service member to Zumba, who specified the payment terms, according to the filing.

That marriage took place on Jan. 2, 2025, after Zumba and another unidentified co-conspirator drove the service member and her soon-to-be husband from New York City to a Connecticut courthouse, according to court documents.

The documents do not name the service member involved, but the dates and payment terms are consistent with information contained in a court filing for Bailey.

Afterward, Bailey attended a “sham wedding party,” during which photographs were taken to substantiate the legitimacy of the marriage for immigration application purposes. Bailey also was paid $10,000 at the party, court documents show.

She also was asked to apply for and obtain a military identification card for the Chinese national that would allow him access to U.S. military facilities, prosecutors say.

Chambers flew to Las Vegas in October 2024 for her wedding and afterward was paid $10,000 cash in a restaurant restroom, court documents state.

A separate court document indicates that Urena flew with an unidentified co-conspirator for a sham wedding in Las Vegas on the same October 2024 day.

The scheme came to light during a conversation between Zumba and a confidential informant, court records show.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5834579&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5307129#49669094)