Green Card Scam Through Fake Marriage in New Jersey; Albanian National and Woman Arrested

Newark: U.S. Attorney Alina Habba has announced charges against Elvis Harizaj, an Albanian national, and Natasha Flores, 27, of Newark, for entering into a sham marriage to obtain a U.S. green card.

The alleged fake marriage took place in October 2021, with the intent of helping Harizaj gain permanent residency in the United States. Harizaj falsely claimed that he was living with Flores, while Flores stated she had never been married. However, investigators found that Flores had previously been married to a Brazilian national who later obtained U.S. citizenship.

Law enforcement also confirmed that Flores had been living in Newark since 2019. Harizaj later admitted the marriage was fake and expressed shame over his involvement in the fraud, officials said.