An Arlington-based D.C. National Guard major admitted in federal court that he built a second marriage and immigration story while still legally married to his first wife, prosecutors said. The scheme also allegedly drained about $54,000 in government money through unauthorized travel-card charges, fabricated receipts and bogus vouchers.
According to Daily Voice, Collin L. Welch, 40, pleaded guilty in Washington, D.C., to theft of government money and an immigration-related offense. Prosecutors said Welch began a relationship with a Mongolian woman in 2019 while posted to the U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, then created a fake divorce decree to persuade her that he was free to marry.
Welch married the woman in Mongolia in 2022, despite remaining legally married to his first wife, prosecutors said. He later brought the woman and her minor daughter to the United States on tourist visas in 2024 and married the woman again in Virginia that October.
When the tourist visas expired in early 2025, Welch allegedly continued housing and supporting them while manufacturing fake permanent-residency approvals, Social Security cards and a letter claiming the woman qualified for military-dependent health benefits. Prosecutors said none of those documents had been submitted to any government agency.
The financial portion of the case involved Welch’s government travel card, which prosecutors said he used for personal trips and expenses for the woman and her daughter. The Daily Voice report said he also submitted fraudulent travel vouchers and fabricated hotel and rental-car receipts, and agreed to forfeit approximately $54,000 as part of his plea agreement; sentencing is scheduled for December 2026.
Welch’s military role had also been publicly documented before the plea. A 2025 report from the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service identified him as the D.C. National Guard’s State Partnership Program director and described him helping an injured motorcyclist on I-395 alongside other Guard members.
What The Federal Charges Could Mean
Federal law generally allows up to 10 years in prison for theft or unauthorized conversion of U.S. government money under 18 U.S.C. § 641. The immigration statute covering conduct that encourages or induces a noncitizen to enter or remain in the country unlawfully can carry up to five years, or up to 10 years when prosecutors establish commercial advantage or private financial gain, under 8 U.S.C. § 1324.
Because Welch pleaded guilty, the case now moves toward sentencing rather than trial. A federal judge will determine the punishment after considering the plea agreement, sentencing guidelines and the specific conduct established in court.
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