Serial bride had 27 fake weddings

An American woman described as New York's most persistent serial bride has pleaded guilty to lying about her marital status as part of a scam.

Prosecutors say Dezerrie Cortes, 40, was paid thousands of dollars for marrying 27 men between 1984 and 2002.

The men were illegal immigrants who needed Green Cards and work permits.

Ms Cortes, who admitted falsely claiming she was single on an application to marry an Indian man, will be sentenced on 7 January.

Ms Cortes' list of grooms included men from India, Pakistan, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Peru.

She never slept with or divorced any of the men.

Ms Cortes had been charged with perjury and falsifying business records, after it emerged that she had lied to city clerks by saying under oath that she had never been married before.

However, under a plea bargaining deal, she admitted one charge of filing a false instrument, when she lied on an application to marry a 37-year-old Indian man in January 2000.

As a result, she is expected to be sentenced to six months in prison.