Witnesses speak in marriage sham trial
Witnesses in the Wichita federal trial of a Jamaican woman accused of marrying a Kansas soldier to become a legal immigrant told jurors that the marriage was not real.
The testimony came Wednesday in the trial of 28-year-old Shannakay Hunter on federal charges of conspiracy, marriage fraud and lying to the government. She married a Fort Riley soldier, Joshua Priest, who has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit marriage fraud.
Priest's cousin, Tawanna Priest-Stewart, said she arranged the couple's meeting and marriage. She testified the couple didn't meet until Hunter came to Kansas for the wedding.
His military superiors testified Priest admitted to them he was defrauding the government with the sham marriage in order to receive added housing and subsistence benefits.
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