Navy Sailors Charged in Alleged Chinese Sham‑Marriage Scheme Near Florida Base

Federal prosecutors have charged two U.S. Navy sailors based at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida — Jacinth Bailey and Morgan Chambers — with one count each of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud for allegedly entering sham marriages with Chinese nationals in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in cash. Court documents say Bailey, assigned to the carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, was offered $45,000 and Chambers $35,000 to marry Chinese citizens, help them obtain green cards, and later divorce, with Bailey allegedly participating in staged post‑wedding photos to bolster immigration paperwork. The indictment describes a broader plot dating to at least September 2024 that “preferred” recruiting military members as spouses, and follows related guilty pleas by former Navy recruiter Brinio Urena for a paid marriage to a Chinese woman and by Navy reservist Raymond Zumba for trying to bribe a Jacksonville base official for fraudulent ID cards tied to people with links to China. Former CIA operative J. Michael Waller told Fox News Digital he believes the effort reflects a targeted Chinese intelligence operation aimed at using spousal privileges to gain access to Naval Air Station Jacksonville. The case highlights growing counter‑intelligence concerns about how foreign governments may exploit marriage, ID, and base‑access rules around U.S. installations — an issue that has drawn wider attention as Congress and the Pentagon scrutinize Chinese‑linked activity near U.S. military facilities.