Atlanta, GA (AHN) -- A suburban Atlanta county is experiencing a marriage boom. Problem is, a lot of the marrying is being done by just three people.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, authorities in Gwinnett County arrested two men last month and charged them with multiple counts of bigamy and related crimes in connection with their marriages to at least 16 women.

Police also have a warrant for a third alleged bigamist, a woman authorities say married six men. William Farley and Alvin Lorenzo Murdock, both of suburban Atlanta, are being held by police. Authorities are still searching for Shawnta M. McBride.Police say they have no evidence that the alleged bigamists knew each other, but the cases have at least one thing in common: many of the illegal vows were taken with African immigrants.

Police suspect that some of the marriages were part of a scheme to gain legal residence in the United States, the Journal-Constitution reported. The cases are being investigated by federal immigration officials. It remains unclear if the accused received money or other compensation for the nuptials, some of which came to light during a routine check of marriage records by a court clerk.

A review of Fairly's marriage licenses by the Journal-Constitution, found that he was particularly bold in his handling of his marriages. He had weddings two days in a row in the same county courtroom, and he let the same magistrate judges hear his vows on two different occasions.."We issue close to 4,000 marriage licenses a year," said Gwinnett Probate Judge Walter J. Clarke. "If they came in three days in a row, maybe they would be noticed."

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