Wife of a man accused of aiding San Bernardino shooters who killed 14 people admits her marriage is a sham 

  • Mariyah Chernykh admitted her marriage to Enrique Marquez Jr. was fake
  • Marquez was the only person charged in connection to 2015 terror attack
  • Chernykh, originally from Canada, was charged in an unrelated fraud case
  • Marquez was accused of plotting attacks with San Bernardino gunman Syed Rizwan Farook
  • He also allegedly supplied Farook with guns used to kill 14 and wound 22 people 

By Associated Press

Published: 20:46 EST, 26 January 2017 | Updated: 23:02 EST, 26 January 2017

The wife of Enrique Marquez Jr. (above), the man accused of aiding the shooters in the San Bernardino terror attack, pleaded guilty Thursday in an immigration fraud case and admitted that her marriage was a sham

The wife of a man accused of aiding the shooters in the San Bernardino terror attack pleaded guilty Thursday in an immigration fraud case and admitted that her marriage was a sham, federal prosecutors said.

Mariyah Chernykh admitted that her marriage to Enrique Marquez Jr., the only person charged in connection with the 2015 terror attack, was a sham designed to enable her to obtain legal status in the US after overstaying a visitor visa in 2009, prosecutors said. 

Marquez is accused of plotting with Syed Rizwan Farook to carry out attacks and with supplying guns used in the attack.

Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people and wounded 22 in a shooting spree at a holiday party in San Bernardino, California.

After the shooting, the couple immediately fled in a rented SUV. Federal agents gave chase and engaged them in a shootout, killing the couple.  

The 26-year-old woman from Ontario was one of three people charged in the marriage fraud case that was unrelated to the December 2015 shootings but came to light in the investigation that followed it. 

Earlier this month, Farook's brother, Syed Raheel Farook, pleaded guilty in the immigration fraud case. 

His wife, Tatiana, was also charged but has denied any wrongdoing and is scheduled for trial in March.

Chernykh pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy, perjury and other charges. 

She admitted in court that she paid Marquez for his participation in the scheme and that she lied on immigration documents and to federal agents, prosecutors said.

Marquez (left) is accused of plotting with Syed Rizwan Farook (far right) to carry out attacks and with supplying guns used in the attack that left 14 people dead. After the attack, Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik (near right) were killed in a shootout with authorities

While Farook and Malik are believed to have bought the handguns they used during their massacre themselves, Marquez is believed to have legally bought the larger assault-style rifles

Marquez confessed to the scheme when authorities questioned him about the shootings, and he acknowledged getting $200 a month to marry Chernykh, according to court documents.

US Attorney Eileen M. Decker said in a statement Thursday that the guilty pleas were 'further proof that law enforcement has doggedly investigated all leads stemming from the tragic attack in San Bernardino as we continue our efforts to bring justice to the community.'

The San Bernardino attack was one of the worst mass shootings in US history. Authorities above investigate the scene of the shootout between the attackers and police on December 3, 2015, in San Bernardino, California

Chernykh's attorney, David Kaloyanides, refused to comment on the plea Thursday.

Prosecutors say she faces up to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced in November.

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