Austin woman sentenced for sham marriage to get citizenship

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — An Austin woman has been sentenced to a year in prison for marrying a man for the sole purpose of gaining U.S. citizenship.

The Austin American-Statesman reports that 39-year-old British citizen and city employee Nancy Chan was sentenced Thursday for conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and mail fraud.

Federal officials say 37-year-old Luis Morales and 46-year-old Isabel Metzler helped Chan devise a plan to marry a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer in 2011. Chan and her spouse submitted documentation for her to seek naturalization in 2014.

Department of Justice officials say a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services officer interviewed the couple separately and found inconsistencies that revealed the marriage was a sham.

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Morales and Metzler pleaded guilty to related charges. They’re scheduled for sentencing in October.