Upper Peninsula Glam Sham Couple never had sex or kissed – but federal prosecutors say they were crafty as a TSA officer was part of the plot

Honolulu Nguyen: Sham Marriage in eastern U.P. Leads to arrest of a fake glam couple

By Greg Peterson
S.E. Social Justice Breaking News
News Director/Co-Owner
906-273-2433

(Marquette, MI) – An initial appearance date in Marquette federal court has been set for a glamorous couple with all the Thanksgiving trimmings – but the feds say it was all a sham.

As if out of the pages of Vogue, 27-year-old Trang Minh Nguyen and Andrew James Murray (in his 20s) who look like a picture perfect hot couple – and even got married on April 4, 2012 in St. Ignace, MI – but they did not fool the feds.

Murray and Nguyen are charged with a federal felony charge of marriage fraud and aiding and abetting marriage fraud.

In fact the alleged marriage sham was discovered by the feds version of a internal affairs section – Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

A tip from a Transportation Security Agency (TSA) Supervisor Agent Jacqueline Broderick tipped off federal agents that one of her employees – Transportation Security Officer Andrew Murray – has been paid $20,000 to help a woman gain citizenship.

The special agent that cracked the case is DHS-OIG Special Agent Alexander McLellan –who uncovered the scam with old-fashioned gumshoe police work and surveillance of all involved and those they met.

Broderick said she heard about the fraudulent marriage through a friend who is a relative of Murray.

It was less above love, prosecutors say, and more about greed and need to be U.S. citizen.

Federal prosecutors say the marriage was more about exchanging $20,000 cash for a life in America.

The couple went all out to convince people of the alleged lie – even arranging social dates from July 18, 2013 including photos – right up to and including the wedding – and they had a joint bank account. After being caught, the couple admitted they never had sex – much less dated or even kissed. In fact, the couple rarely spent any time together.

Nguyen admitted her parents sent the money she paid Murray, the criminal complaint states. Nguyen allegedly went through with the fake marriage to avoid deportation. She was born in Hanoi, South Vietnam.

Born in 1990, Nguyen entered the USA on March 29, 2012 as a student. Murray filed a “Petition for Alien Relative” on Sept 25, 2014 that stated she was living with Murray at a residence of East 12 Mile Road in Sault Ste. Marie inside Chippewa County.

The marriage happened in Mackinac County. On Feb.5, 2015 Nguyen was granted a new status of “Conditional Resident.” Following her marriage more paperwork was filed by both, and she was given a permanent status in the USA.

In an odd family twist, the marriage was allegedly arranged by Murray’s uncle whom is married to Nguyen’s aunt. The couple practiced the answers to questions that they knew would be asked when Nguyen applied for citizenship. Before and after the sham marriage, Murray continued to live with his girlfriend on Ashmun St. in the Soo.

After her arrival in America, Nguyen lived in Poughkeepsie and New Paultz, NY from August 2011 to July 2013. Then to a residence on East 10 mile Rd – near Murray’s home (her future home) and during surveillance agents confirmed that Murray was actually staying at his girlfriend’s apartment.

Once busted Murray confessed to federal agents he went through with the scam for financial gain, according to a federal criminal complaint.

Another motive, Murray said, was he was mad at his girlfriend for cheating on him. Of the $20,000 – Murray told agents he had only received $13,000 which he used to pay wedding bills and buy a 2003 Honda motorcycle.

When agents check their cell[phones, there were nude photos of Murray and his girlfriend (beard) but none of Nguyen.

In a text to her boyfriend, Beard showed her frustration with the plot.
“I was really hoping you’d be done with this Trang thing before we moved into a house together,” Beard text reads. “Because I don’t want to be hiding where I live.”

Details of the plot were allegedly outlined in text messages found on both Murray and Nguyen cellphones.

Murray said Nguyen lived with his grandmother and cared for the elderly woman.

This South Vietnam woman apparently is known by some in the Vietnamese community as “Honolulu Nguyen” News has spread like wildfire in Southeast Asia from back to her home country and across Facebook (see on of the stories below).

If convicted, the maximum penalty for both is five years in federal prison (no parole on federal time), $250.000 fine, three years supervised release. Nguyen’s conviction means she will be removed from the country.

The only media to cover the story so far at MLive – whose story helped spread the word and had been shared many times by Vietnamese on both sides of the oceans.

The couple is schedule to be arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy O. Greeley, who set the first appearance in two weeks.

Here is a translated version of one of the people on Facebook sharing info about this couple – here is one Facebook translation of Vietnamese American adding his own take:

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This is from one of the many Facebook posts in Vietnam about this couple:

Honolulu Nguyen: Woman Travel Born Court: married fake in America has the risk of 5 years in prison

Mackinac County, you – a woman Vietnam South was accusing is spent 20,000 dollars for a man in Michigan do paper married to America, avoided the law moving America.

Andrew James Murray and Ms. Trang Minh Nguyen was sentenced to 17/10/2017 about guilty fraud marriage — guilty castle this can be sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Both are in grandma.

Two married day 4/4/2014 in town st. Ignace On Upper Peninsula.

Profile start fill write that you rune paid Murray $ 13,000 in account promised pay 20,000 dollars, according to Todd Allen, deputy internal safe, written in profile 11 pages.

In Profile marriage, two men the supplier picture wedding and you meet others, and a copy of the wall show account bank stand name.

Both seed in the interview says married valid, but then admit marriage.

The investigation start peace from February 4/2016 when a senator of Murray in security traffic, where Murray’s employees, tell viênc hức union that rune cause money for Murray to do marriage fake to in America.

Why shots senator level know from 1 relatives of Murray: Uncle Murray married to you of rune helped make married fake.
A superior heard is Murray and rune practiced you questions / land prepared for an interview.

You Rune in America travel learn day 29/3/2012 in New York.

After marriage, state you change from travel students to citizens have conditions. Two men write on the papers live in general 1 Điạ just on the road east 12 at the old road road in town Sault Ste. Marie.

But the investigation shots monitor Murray from February 6/2016 at mộtc eat house in the street ashmun street, where the investigation shots think Murray live with a girl.

People check see electricity thoài of Murray and see the whole picture girl, don’t see pictures you side Nguyen. The message is also Murray and her girlfriend, don’t see a message with Trang Nguyen.

In 1 message, my girlfriend Murray wrote: ” I hope you finish the story with you page before we moved in with them. Because I don’t want to live hidden…”