A Honolulu woman yesterday admitted in federal court that she helped arrange for about 20 people, including her daughter, to travel to China to enter into sham marriages with Chinese nationals to help them get into the United States.

Lee Thi Tran, 58, faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge of participating in the sham marriage operation, but she has agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors.

On Wednesday, her daughter, Melinda Tran, 28, pleaded guilty to the sham marriage conspiracy and admitted she went to China to marry a man she never met. Melinda Tran also agreed to cooperate.

Lee Tran, who has several aliases, including "Aunty Lee," said in court yesterday that when she was visiting California, she met a man named Phillip Lam who asked her if she knew anyone who wanted to go to China. She said he told her travelers would get married to people who wanted to enter the United States and he'd pay for all expenses.

The mother admitted she'd meet the U.S. citizens before they left, help them get proper documentation and tell them they'd get $5,000 to $6,000 when they got to China.

She also admitted that in November 2002, she provided her daughter and others with airline tickets that she said Lam obtained for their China trips.

Lee Tran said she was paid $500 for each person she helped send to China.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Leslie Kobayashi scheduled Lee Tran's sentencing for Dec. 21. Her daughter's sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 25. Both are free pending their sentencing.

Lam has been identified in a federal indictment as Andy Cuong Nguyen. He is also charged with participating in the marriage scheme. The indictment also charges three other men with entering sham marriages in China.

Reach Ken Kobayashi at kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com.