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The suspects allegedly taught couples various tricks to fool authorities, including how to open joint bank accounts; arrange for both names to appear on telephone, utility and other bills; prepare a photo album; and practice for immigration interviews with mock questions.
The fake marriage ring, based in rented offices in Lower Manhattan, started around November 2002 and ran until the summer of 2007, the indictment says.Charged were Vladimir Bararushkin, 56, of Brooklyn; Tea Sanchez, aka Tea Kalatozishvili, 30, of Brooklyn; Todd Tolson, 44, of Brooklyn; Pablo Cruz, 33, of Hempstead, N.Y.; and Nancy Diaz, of Ozone Park, N.Y. They face a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted.
The indictment says Bararushkin told a Romanian national that a scam marriage with an American would cost $15,000. Officials said Cruz told an American man that he would receive $5,000 for marrying a Russian woman and then divorcing her nine months later.
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