Romanian National Pleads Guilty to Conspiring in Marriage Fraud Scheme

Antonia-Beatrice Mircea, a Romanian citizen, admitted to conspiring with a U.S. citizen to enter a sham marriage to obtain lawful permanent residence. USCIS assisted the federal investigation, announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey.

Key points

• Mircea pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud in federal court.
• She entered a sham marriage with U.S. citizen Victor Purilla to obtain lawful permanent residence.
• Mircea falsely stated on forms submitted to USCIS that she lived with Purilla in Atlantic City.
• Purilla actually maintained his own residence in Absecon and never lived with Mircea.
• The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years supervised release.
• Sentencing is scheduled for January 25, 2027.

Who is affected

This case concerns individuals who enter into fraudulent marriages to obtain immigration benefits and affects public understanding of marriage fraud enforcement.

What to do