Las Vegas woman married 14 men to fund her gambling. She told police why there weren’t more: ‘Not everyone pays’
She reportedly lost more than $300,000 gambling, but the men she married are still trying to recover the money they gave her.
A Las Vegas woman who repeatedly married men and took their money to fund her gambling has been sentenced to jail time, probation, and $280,000 in restitution. Jiaying Chen, 34, pleaded guilty in July to felony bigamy and obtaining money under false pretenses. When detectives asked why some of the men she approached never became husbands, Chen reportedly told them, ‘Not everyone pays.’
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, District Judge Crystal Eller sentenced Chen on October 6 to probation, with its first year spent in the Clark County Detention Center. She received credit for 125 days already served and must attend gambling addiction treatment and comply with electronic monitoring.
Investigators found that Chen submitted 14 marriage applications between 2019 and 2024, resulting in seven marriage certificates. Police also identified additional records under the false name Vicky Liang. Authorities said she married multiple men, collected money for supposed family emergencies, and often disappeared after receiving payment.
Chen took advantage of Las Vegas’ marriage process
Chen reportedly met prospective husbands through social media, including WeChat, and suggested marriage after a few months of dating. Once married, she would tell them a relative in China needed medical treatment and ask for financial help.
One man told police he gave Chen $40,000 for a sick relative. Another provided $23,000 before Chen reportedly told him two weeks later that she no longer wanted to be married. A third said he gave her $20,000 to help her half-sister.
Chen also reportedly convinced one man to save for a house together. He and his family gathered approximately $30,000, but Chen stopped communicating after receiving the money.
Detectives said Chen preferred Las Vegas because getting married there was easy. However, Clark County’s marriage license application still requires people to disclose previous marriages, their current marital status, and when their last marriage ended. Applicants must also provide identification matching the name on their application.
Police said Chen used fraudulent identification and an alias while submitting applications. Investigators also found she had lost more than $300,000 gambling at Wynn Las Vegas over one year.
Her victims may face a long wait to recover their money
Raymond Tam, one of the men Chen defrauded, attended her October 6 sentencing and described the financial problems he faced afterward. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s courtroom coverage, Tam said he owed money to friends and struggled to pay employees at his factory.
‘Mentally, every day, I’m distressed. I’m not able to sleep,’ Tam told the court.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Austin Beaumont called Chen the ‘quintessential runaway bride.’ Prosecutors said nine victims sought restitution, with individual claims ranging from approximately $8,000 to more than $80,000.
District Judge Crystal Eller ordered Chen to pay $280,000 and undergo treatment for gambling addiction. Her attorney, Thomas Wells, said she was remorseful and hoped to find legitimate employment after her release.
Under Nevada Revised Statute 176.275, courts can enforce criminal restitution orders in much the same way as civil judgments. Those orders don’t expire until the person satisfies the debt, and victims can continue seeking payment even after the person completes probation.
For Chen’s victims, that means the obligation to repay them won’t necessarily end when she finishes her sentence. Whether they receive the full $280,000 is another question, particularly given her reported gambling losses. The court has ordered repayment, but it remains unclear how much money Chen can actually return.
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