Woman Married 12 Men in Las Vegas and Now Pleads Guilty to Bigamy and Fraud Charges
Posted on 07/15/26 at 13:44
- Woman married 12 men in Las Vegas.
- Earned thousands through marriages.
- Faces up to 24 years in prison.
A 33-year-old woman has admitted her role in the Las Vegas bigamy fraud case, pleading guilty to bigamy and fraud after marrying more than a dozen men and allegedly receiving thousands of dollars from some of her spouses.
The case, which involves multiple marriages carried out over several years, also includes allegations of forgery and deception to obtain substantial sums of money.
How the Alleged Multiple-Marriages Scheme Worked in Las Vegas
According to court documents cited by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jiaying Chen reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, pleading guilty to one count of bigamy and one count of attempting to obtain money through deception involving an amount of $100,000 or more.
Chen, identified as a U.S. resident, appeared before the Clark County District Court in Nevada, where she formally accepted responsibility as part of the plea agreement.
The investigation found that between April and June of this year, Chen married at least five people without legally finalizing divorces from her previous marriages.
Authorities allege that this was part of a pattern that continued over several years.
Investigation Found Numerous Marriage License Applications Under Different Names
Prosecutors say the scheme began in March 2019 and continued through May of this year.
During that period, Jiaying Chen submitted 15 marriage license applications to the Clark County Marriage License Bureau.
At least eight of those applications resulted in official marriage certificates.
Investigators also discovered that the defendant allegedly used the alias «Vicky Liang» when filing additional marriage license applications.
Using that identity, she allegedly submitted eight more marriage license applications during 2025.
According to court documents, seven of those applications resulted in marriage certificates.
In addition to the bigamy charges, Chen had originally faced allegations including:
- Six felony counts of bigamy
- Forgery
- Theft related to the alleged scheme
Woman Admitted How Much She Could Earn From Each Marriage
During the investigation, Chen told the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department that the marriages were a source of income.
According to the report cited by the local newspaper, she said she could earn «up to $20,000 from one marriage.»
However, she also stated that not every arrangement was completed.
Chen said that «not everyone» ultimately paid the agreed-upon amount.
She further explained that she preferred conducting the marriages in Las Vegas because the process is particularly simple there.
Authorities believe the scheme relied in part on taking advantage of how quickly marriage licenses can be obtained in Clark County.
Prosecutors Say Thousands of Dollars Were Lost in Las Vegas Casinos
Prosecutors allege that Chen obtained approximately $138,000 from at least three of the men she married.
According to the charges, that money was later lost while gambling in Las Vegas casinos.
Authorities have not explained why the men agreed to marry Chen.
It has also not been disclosed whether any of them lived with her after the ceremonies or whether the marriages were part of other arrangements.
Court records likewise do not specify how many of the earlier marriages remained legally valid when the later ceremonies took place.
Sentencing Could Come in August
View this post on Instagram
By accepting the plea agreement, Jiaying Chen avoided going to trial on all of the charges originally filed against her.
However, she still faces a significant prison sentence.
Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 20.
If the judge imposes the maximum penalty for the offenses to which she pleaded guilty, Chen could face up to 24 years in prison.
The Las Vegas bigamy fraud case remains one of the most unusual criminal proceedings in the city in recent years because of its combination of multiple marriages, alleged financial fraud, and the alleged use of alternate identities to obtain additional marriage licenses.
YOU MAY ALSO BEINTERESTED IN: Hispanic Woman Accused of Chaining Her Daughter to a Fence After Losing Her Job
SOURCE: EFE
