Carpentersville woman faces charges in sham marriage case

A Carpentersville woman who works as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer at O'Hare International Airport is accused of hindering investigation of a sham marriage.

According to federal prosecutors, the woman, Enkhchimeg "Eni" Ulziibayar Edwards, 36, helped arrange the 2003 marriage of a Mongolian national to an American citizen in order to gain citizenship for the Mongolian. The couple were married in Las Vegas, but divorced a year later when the naturalization petition of the Mongolian national was rejected.

Federal authorities began investigating Edwards' role in the marriage in 2013. Prosecutors said Edwards contacted the American citizen involved in the sham marriage during the course of the investigation and attempted to persuade that unnamed individual to not communicate with law enforcement.

Edwards is charged with witness tampering. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted.