By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

ANOTHER man was arrested for marriage fraud.
The government says Jesse John Stephen, 29, married his friend’s girlfriend to help her obtain immediate relative status.
Stephen was brought to Superior Court for a bail hearing yesterday before Associate Judge Juan T. Lizama who imposed an unsecured bond of $20,000 for the defendant’s temporary liberty.
Stephen was arrested on Friday after immigration investigators received information that he and Lili Wang committed marriage fraud.
The affidavit of immigration investigator Abram Tugawa stated that on Thursday morning, he interviewed Stephen and learned that he was approached by his friend Mohammad Nazrul Islam and was asked for “some help” in 2004.
Islam went to Stephen’s girlfriend’s house and asked Stephen to marry his girlfriend Lili Wang.
Islam told Stephen that Lili Wang’s entry permit would expire soon.
Islam and Stephen used to work for a company as security guards.
Stephen agreed to marry his friend’s girlfriend.
Stephen and Wang were married on Sept. 1, 2004 in Superior Court.
Islam and Stephen’s real girlfriend acted as witnesses.
After the wedding ceremony, Islam and Wang took Stephen and his girlfriend to a restaurant in Gualo Rai to celebrate.
When they left the restaurant, Wang left in Islam’s car while Stephen left with his real girlfriend.
According to the Division of Immigration, Wang and Stephen never lived together as husband and wife.
Stephen, Immigration added, admitted to investigators that the marriage between him and Wang was “fixed” to help Wang obtain IR status.
Wang has yet to be arrested by authorities but Islam was arrested on Feb. 16 also for marriage fraud.
Islam married a minor on June 9, 2006 to obtain IR status, authorities said, adding that he paid the minor and her parents $2,000.
The Superior Court allowed him to post $1,500 in bail and $8,500 in a security bond.