18 Alleged Gang Members Arrested

In Los Angeles, police have arrested 18 people who are accused of possessing firearms, arranging fake marriages in order to obtain green cards for illegal immigrants and drug trafficking.

Federal authorities say that the members of the Red Door gang, which is based in the San Gabriel Valley, had arranged for foreigners to pay large sums of money to marry American women in order to gain U.S. resident status permanently.

U.S. attorney spokesmen Thom Mrozek said that gangs try to get money by engaging in white collar crimes, but it is unusual to see such marriage schemes.  The federal indictment cites three cases, but he believes that there could be hundreds more.

Mrozek stated, "We have a widespread fraud against the immigration system."  18 out of the 20 defendants named in the indictment were arrested by police following an investigation into the gang.  Prosecutors say that the people who were arrested were either members of the gang were connected to it.

If you need assistance with a gang case, contact Schwartz & Naderi to get immediate legal help from a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney.