Romanian National Admits to Conspiracy to Commit Marriage Fraud

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Romanian national admitted to conspiring with an American to enter into a sham marriage so that she could obtain U.S. citizenship, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Antonia-Beatrice Mircea, 33, of Atlantic City, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court.  According to statements made in court and documents filed in the case, Mircea is a citizen of Romania and entered into a sham marriage with U.S. citizen Victor Purilla for the purpose of obtaining permanent residence in the United States. On forms submitted to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Mircea falsely stated that she lived with Purilla in Atlantic City when, in fact, Purilla never lived with Mircea and maintained his own residence in Absecon.  Judge O’Hearn scheduled sentencing for January 25, 2027.

The charge of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud has a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of three years of supervised release. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, and of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, and USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security officers, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane in Camden.

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Defense counsel: Timothy Farrow, Esq., Domers Bonamassa & Farrow, P.C.