Mariyah Chernykh Pleads Guilty to Sham Marriage Fraud

Mariyah Chernykh, 26, of Ontario, California, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of conspiracy, perjury, and making false statements in connection with a sham marriage scheme tied to the December 2, 2015, San Bernardino terrorist attack. The Russian citizen admitted in U.S. District Court before Judge Jesus Bernal that she paid Enrique Marquez Jr. to marry her solely to secure immigration benefits, lying on official documents and to FBI agents during the terror investigation.

Chernykh faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $1 million. Her sentencing is scheduled for November 20, 2017. She became the second defendant to plead guilty in the marriage fraud conspiracy, following Syed Raheel Farook—brother of attacker Syed Rizwan Farook—who entered a guilty plea on January 10. The third defendant, Tatiana Farook, wife of Syed Raheel Farook, remains under indictment and is set for trial on March 28.

The indictment alleges the conspiracy began in late 2014 and lasted through February 2016, during which Chernykh, Marquez, and others orchestrated a fraudulent marriage to exploit U.S. immigration laws. Chernykh admitted in court that she knowingly submitted false paperwork and continued lying during FBI interviews conducted in the chaotic aftermath of the attack that left 14 dead and dozens injured.

Enrique Marquez Jr., the central figure linking the marriage fraud to the terrorist attack, faces a broader indictment. He is charged not only with immigration fraud but also with conspiring with Syed Rizwan Farook in 2011 and 2012 to carry out attacks in the Inland Empire. Marquez allegedly provided the two rifles later used in the San Bernardino massacre and during the deadly police shootout that killed Farook and Tashfeen Malik. His trial is set for September 26 before Judge Bernal.

“Two of the four defendants charged as a result of the investigation into the December 2 San Bernardino terrorist attack have now been convicted,” said U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “These convictions signify important progress in the ongoing investigation and prosecution of all those connected to the attack.”

“Mariyah Chernykh ultimately admitted to lying to FBI Agents who were urgently seeking answers immediately following the attack,” said Deirdre Fike, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. HSI Los Angeles’s Joseph Macias added, “Not only do such actions corrupt the integrity of our nation’s legal immigration system, but they can directly or indirectly put the safety of the American people at risk.” The investigation was conducted by the Joint Terrorism Task Force.”

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