Jiaying Chen allegedly told Las Vegas police that she targeted men in the city because "it is so easy to get married" there. Now, the 33-year-old Chinese woman faces serious criminal charges and is expected to plead guilty to bigamy and obtaining money under false pretenses after authorities say she scammed more than a dozen men through fraudulent marriages.
Background
The investigation into Chen began when detectives with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department received a tip that she was meeting a man at a local restaurant to discuss another potential marriage scam. On June 4, authorities intercepted what they say was yet another scheme and arrested Chen. During her arrest, police discovered a U.S. passport and Nevada driver's license bearing Chen's photograph but displaying the name "Vicky Liang."
A search for that alias in Department of Motor Vehicles records yielded no results. However, investigators found multiple entries under that name at the Clark County Marriage License Bureau. According to an arrest report obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, between 2019 and 2024, Chen applied for 14 marriage licenses at the bureau, with seven marriage certificates ultimately issued.
The pattern emerged when police interviewed her victims: Chen allegedly connected with men through social media and dating applications, quickly suggested marriage, then requested thousands of dollars claiming she needed to send money to sick relatives in China. After receiving the funds, she would either annul the marriages or simply cut off contact entirely.
"That's on them," one victim told police Chen allegedly said when confronted about sending her money, according to prior reporting by Law&Crime.
The Investigation
The Clark County Marriage License Bureau flagged Chen's applications to police in 2024. She was arrested, posted bond, and subsequently failed to appear for court proceedings. Police say the fake identification documents bearing the alias "Vicky Liang" were submitted with eight marriage applications, most filed between April and June of this year.
Among her victims, one man gave Chen $40,000, another surrendered $23,000, a third provided $20,000, and at least one additional victim turned over $30,000 after Chen claimed she wanted to purchase a house. None of the men recovered their money.
"Two weeks after Chen got her five-figure sum from him, she told him she 'didn't want to be married anymore to him,'" according to the arrest report.
When questioned by police in 2024, Chen acknowledged filing for marriage licenses but claimed some men simply never paid her. Those applications did not result in marriage certificates, investigators noted.
According to the arrest report, police discovered Chen had lost more than $300,000 gambling at the Wynn casino. "It appears the money she has obtained goes to gambling and not relatives overseas," authorities stated.
Prosecutors say Chen is expected to enter guilty pleas at an upcoming Las Vegas court appearance for bigamy and obtaining money under false pretenses in excess of $100,000.
Key Takeaways
- Jiaying Chen, 33, allegedly applied for 14 marriage licenses between 2019-2024, with seven resulting in certificates — meaning she may have been married to multiple men simultaneously
- She targeted victims through dating apps and social media, requesting funds for fake sick relatives in China
- Victims lost a combined total exceeding $100,000; one victim gave her $40,000 alone
- Police found Chen had lost over $300,000 gambling at the Wynn casino
- Fake identification documents bearing the alias "Vicky Liang" were used on eight marriage applications
- Chen is currently in custody at Clark County Correctional Center on $100,000 bond
What's Next
Chen is expected to plead guilty to bigamy and obtaining money under false pretenses at an upcoming Las Vegas federal court appearance. While one victim annulled his marriage after discovering her other husbands, authorities say some of Chen's most recent victims have expressed no intention of ending their marriages to her. Investigators are continuing to identify potential additional victims who may have been targeted in the scheme.