A Washington, D.C., National Guard major who prosecutors say faked divorce papers, forged immigration documents and used taxpayer money to support a secret second family has pleaded guilty to federal charges.
Maj. Collin L. Welch, 40, of Arlington, Virginia, admitted Tuesday, July 28, to immigration-related offenses and theft of government funds stemming from what prosecutors described as a years-long scheme involving a Mongolian woman he married while still legally married to his first wife, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Welch spent about $54,000 in government funds on personal expenses, including travel and living costs for the woman and her daughter. Under a plea agreement, he agreed to forfeit the money and faces an estimated prison sentence of 10 to 16 months when he is sentenced Dec. 3, according to U.S. military magazine Stars and Stripes.
What did prosecutors accuse Welch of doing?
Welch previously served in the Alaska and D.C. National Guard and deployed to Afghanistan and Djibouti, according to court records.
Prosecutors said he began a relationship with the woman in 2019 and later created a fake divorce decree to convince her he was legally free to marry. He married her in Mongolia in 2022 and brought her and her daughter to the United States on tourist visas in 2024.
Authorities said Welch married the woman again in Virginia that October despite still being legally married to his first wife.
After the visas expired in early 2025, prosecutors said Welch continued housing and financially supporting the woman and her daughter. When questions arose about her immigration status, authorities say Welch created fake permanent resident approvals, Social Security cards and a letter falsely claiming she qualified for military-dependent health benefits.
Prosecutors said none of those documents had been filed with or approved by a government agency.
How was government money involved?
Federal authorities also accused Welch of misusing his government travel card and filing fraudulent travel reimbursement claims.
According to prosecutors, Welch submitted fabricated hotel and rental car receipts for trips that never occurred and used the government-issued card to pay for personal travel and expenses tied to the woman and her daughter.
The conduct resulted in approximately $54,000 in unauthorized government charges, prosecutors said. Court records further allege that Welch used a government computer to create false receipts and misrepresented the purpose of unofficial trips to obtain approval.
What happens next?
As part of his plea agreement, Welch agreed to forfeit $54,000.
His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 3 before U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali. Welch faces an estimated prison sentence of 10 to 16 months under federal sentencing guidelines.
Welch’s attorney, Gregory P. Rosen, said his client accepts responsibility for his actions, though he argued that the case should be viewed in the context of the strain caused by multiple military deployments.
“None of that changes the fact that Maj. Welch accepts full responsibility for his actions,” Rosen told Stars and Stripes.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on X @athompsonUSAT.