‘I do’ for money: Kansas City woman admits guilt in fake marriage scheme

A Kansas City woman pleaded guilty Monday to accepting money for entering into a sham marriage with a man she thought was an African immigrant.

Stephanie Harris, 22, was the fifth person charged in the case to plead guilty to the conspiracy to circumvent U.S. immigration laws.

Members of the conspiracy were U.S. citizens who agreed to marry citizens of African countries.

The African citizens were charged $1,000 up front by the organizer of the scheme. They then paid their “spouses” $500 at the time of their weddings and $500 after the marriage.

They then paid the spouses $250 each month until the immigration process was completed.

According to documents previously filed in federal court, Harris married a man in November 2015 who was an informant working for federal agents. The marriage was actually staged and was not valid, but Harris believed that it was.

She received monthly payments for the marriage and pressured the man for additional money, according to court documents filed in the case.

Harris faces a sentence of up to five years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

This story was originally published April 17, 2017 at 10:56 AM with the headline "‘I do’ for money: Kansas City woman admits guilt in fake marriage scheme."