Tampa Woman Facing Prison for Immigration Marriage Fraud

A Tampa woman is headed to prison after federal officials say she arranged U.S. marriages for Jamaicans.

Cassandra Hamilton, 55, was convicted by a federal judge Thursday of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement uncovered she engaged in a marriage fraud scheme for financial gain.

ICE reported the Tampa resident helped arrange at least 10 marriages over the course of several years.

“Hamilton conspired to circumvent and exploit our nation’s immigration laws for personal financial gain,” special agent Susan L. McCormick of Homeland Security Investigations said in a news release.

According to ICE, Jamaicans involved in the marriage fraud scheme were repatriated back to the Caribbean island nation.