Woman Jailed After Funding $300K Vegas Gambling Habit Through Serial Bigamy

Jiaying Chen, who tricked multiple men into fraudulent marriages to steal over $300,000 for her Las Vegas gambling habit, was sentenced Tuesday (Oct. 6) to nearly a year in Clark County jail.

According to court filings, the serial bigamist lost more than $300,000 at Wynn Las Vegas over the past year—funding her casino habit with cash extracted from men she married and convinced to fund a nonexistent “sick relative” in China.

The Alias and the Marriages

Chen, 34, pleaded guilty in July to bigamy and obtaining money under false pretenses of more than $100,000, both felonies. Police said she used the alias “Vicky Liang,” supported by a forged Nevada driver’s license and a fake U.S. passport, to repeatedly remarry without detection.

Chen typically targeted men on social media before quickly proposing. Between March 2019 and May 2024, she submitted 14 marriage applications to the Clark County Marriage License Bureau, securing at least seven official certificates. Following a 2024 arrest, Chen went on the run and allegedly married five more men during her time as a fugitive.

In total, prosecutors say Chen victimized more than a dozen men. Individual losses ranged from $20,000 to $40,000, with several victims noting that Chen completely cut off contact as soon as the funds cleared.

Strategic Jail Sentence

District Judge Crystal Eller suspended an eight- to 20-year state prison sentence, instead ordering Chen to serve one year in the Clark County Detention Center—with credit for 125 days served—as a condition of probation. She was also ordered to pay $280,000 in victim restitution.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Austin Beaumont specifically requested local jail time over state prison. Although Chen is a lawful permanent resident, a state prison sentence would trigger federal immigration intervention—likely resulting in her deportation before victims could recover any stolen funds.

Judge Eller warned Chen that any probation violation would immediately trigger the full 20-year prison sentence. Upon her release, Chen must complete an additional year of probation, attend Gamblers Anonymous counseling, and submit to electronic monitoring.