⏱ 2 min read
A Congolese citizen living in Sioux City, Iowa, has been sentenced to 12 months in federal prison for his role in a brazen sham marriage scheme to defraud the US.
Medard Elonge, 40, entered the US in 2022 on a student visa and later applied for asylum. But instead of waiting for his asylum claim to be processed, Elonge hatched a plan with his co-conspirators to marry off his wife to another man in a sham ceremony.
The plan was for the other man to divorce Elonge’s wife six months after Elonge’s family arrived in the US. But Elonge’s scheme was blown wide open when he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the US in September 2025.
On April 10, 2026, Elonge was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief Judge C.J. Williams. He was also ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release after his prison term.
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📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Defendant: Iowa
- Location: IA
- Source: DOJ Press Release
