A woman accused of marrying numerous men in Las Vegas as part of an alleged scheme to bankroll her gambling habit has agreed to plead guilty to two felony charges. Prosecutors say the case involved fraudulent marriages, fake identities, and hundreds of thousands of dollars obtained from victims over several years.
She Married 14 Men in Vegas Under Seven Years
Jiaying Chen, 33, waived her right to a preliminary hearing during an appearance before Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Rebecca Saxe. Her attorney, Thomas Wells, told the court that Chen intends to plead guilty to one count of bigamy and one count of obtaining money under false pretenses exceeding $100,000.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Austin Beaumont said the plea agreement would allow victims to submit restitution reports to the court. “It will permit the victims of these crimes to provide restitution reports to the court and, ideally, get reimbursed from this defendant for the money she has taken,” Beaumont said during the hearing.
According to investigators, Chen first came under scrutiny after the Clark County Marriage License Bureau reported suspicious activity in 2024. Police allege that between March 2019 and May 2024, she submitted 14 marriage license applications in Clark County, leading to seven marriage certificates being issued.
Authorities arrested Chen in 2024 on multiple counts of bigamy and theft. After posting bond, however, she disappeared before investigators located and arrested her again in Las Vegas last month.
Investigators Say Victims Lost More Than $300,000
Per Fox5Vegas, officers apprehended Chen a second time, moments after she walked into a Southwest Valley restaurant. Authorities learned that she planned to meet a man there to discuss getting married. Police said she was using the alias Vicky Liang at the time of her latest arrest. Investigators also alleged she possessed a fraudulent passport and a fake Nevada driver’s license.
According to Metropolitan Police investigators, Chen allegedly met victims through social media and dating applications before encouraging them to marry shortly after they met. Authorities said she frequently claimed a relative in China urgently needed financial assistance. In actuality, the young lady squandered the money by frequenting Wynn Las Vegas. Prosecutors allege the story persuaded several men to hand over large sums of money before Chen abruptly cut off all communication.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, one victim gave Chen $40,000 to help an allegedly ill family member but never recovered the money. Another told detectives he provided $23,000 immediately after their wedding, before Chen informed him only weeks later that she no longer wanted to remain married.
A third victim reportedly lost $20,000 under similar circumstances. Investigators said another man dated Chen for nearly a year before they married. After discussing plans to purchase a home together, he and his family pooled approximately $30,000 and gave it to her. Detectives allege Chen disappeared shortly afterward.
Police estimate the alleged scheme generated well over $300,000. During questioning following her 2024 arrest, investigators said Chen admitted she “could make as much as $20,000 from one marriage.”
Police Say Gambling Habit Fueled the Alleged Marriage Scheme
The arrest report showed that she told detectives she conducted the fraudulent marriages only in Las Vegas because “it is so easy to get married.” Court records indicate investigators also reviewed Chen’s casino gambling activity while examining her finances. Authorities believe much of the money obtained from victims was used to support an extensive gambling habit.
In addition to the marriage-related allegations, Chen was previously accused of defrauding another woman out of $40,000 by writing bad checks using funds from a former husband’s bank account. Police also allege Chen repeatedly used fraudulent identification documents and false information on marriage license applications to conceal her identity and continue the scheme.
Her guilty plea is expected to resolve the criminal case without a preliminary hearing. The sentencing phase, scheduled for August 20, will allow victims to seek restitution for their financial losses while the court determines Chen’s punishment under the plea agreement.
