No jail time for man in marriage fraud ring

A man who was originally considered to be a ringleader of a marriage visa fraud ring will serve no jail time after pleading guilty in federal court on Monday.

In a federal indictment last August, Danh Huy Do was identified as one of five leaders of an operation that paid single Utah residents to marry Vietnamese citizens, who paid up to $30,000 for the marriages in order to eventually gain U.S. citizenship.

However, as the investigation continued it became clear that Do's role "was less substantial than initially believed," said Melodie Rydalch, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office.

Do was sentenced to 12 months of bench probation and a $250 fine Monday. He had no prior criminal record.

"Really, before, I didn't know it was a fraudulent marriage," Do said in court, speaking through an interpreter.

In an advance statement, Do said he originally had no knowledge that one of the marriages was fake. He later allowed a participant in the marriage to live in his apartment and had prepared an application for permanent residency, which asserted that the couple "had an ongoing bona fide relationship; a fact which I deliberately ignored."

Some 24 people were originally indicted on 79 counts of conspiracy, alien smuggling, marriage fraud and aggravated identity theft in the case.