17 indicted in Navy marriage fraud case

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - A federal grand jury in Norfolk has indicted 17 individuals on charges connected with, what officials say, was a broad conspiracy scheme to recruit U.S. Navy personnel to engage in fraudulent marriages to Russian foreign nationals.

The indictment was unsealed Wednesday after those indicted were arrested.

The individuals charged are: Anna Nagikh, 26, of Virginia Beach; Julia Dronova, 27, of Williamsburg; Mikhail Loukoshkov, 28, of Dallas, Tex.; Chase Rogers, 27, of Lebanon, Ore.; Jennifer Finney, 26, of Chico, Calif.; Dmitry Dyugaev, 26, of Belmont, Mass.; Ryan Ranalli, 26, of Louisville, Ky.; Mitchell Steadman, 28, of Japan; Elena Soloveva, 27, of Salem, Mass.; Brandon Johnson, 29, of Houston, Tex.; Jacques Arzu, 27, of Los Angeles, Calif.; Nathan Cisneros, 25, of Lorenzo, Tex.; Albina Satysheva, 27 of Owings Mills, Md.; Irina Nokhrina, 26, of West Hollywood, Calif.; Vadim Lazarev, 25, of West Hollywood, Calif.; Sherri Ford, 32, of Park Hills, Ky.; and Elbek Arslanov, 34, of Brooklyn, NY.

All are charged with conspiracy, marriage fraud, false claims, theft of government property, false statements related to naturalization or citizenship, and naturalization fraud.

"Today’s charges are a result of our ongoing effort to crack down on allegations of sham marriages in the Navy," said Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in a released statement. "To date, nearly 80 people have been charged with this scheme to pair Navy servicemen with Russian women in fake marriages. We’ll continue to pursue these cases to protect the integrity of our military and our immigration laws."

"Fraudulent marriage schemes undermine the integrity of our immigration system," said John P. Torres, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Washington, D.C., in the same statement. "These sham marriages create a vulnerability in which foreign nationals may gain entry to and remain in the United States for employment or more nefarious purposes. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that these schemes are thoroughly investigated and dismantled."

"This is a serious crime that will result in serious consequences for all involved. This matter reinforces the need for strong communication and coordination between Federal Law Enforcement agencies and the military to ensure integrity and accountability within our enterprise. NCIS will continue to aggressively pursue individuals involved with fraudulent marriages as the crime reveals several concerns to include security and overall force protection," said Mark Russ, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in Norfolk, also in a released statement.

According to the 28-count indictment, the Navy personnel would file for additional pay from the Navy based on their fraudulent marriages and the foreign nationals would obtain an immigration benefit. Officials say some of the defendants made false statements to United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers. The indictment also charges a number of defendants with arranging the fraudulent marriages.