Eleven Indian nationals have been charged with scheming to carry out a staged armed robbery at stores as part of a visa fraud scheme in Massachusetts, US.
Attorney Leah Foley said the conspiracy was planned to allow store clerks to claim they were crime victims on their immigration applications.
Those who were charged include:
39-year-old Jitendrakumar Patel, residing in Marshfield,
36-year-old Maheshkumar Patel, residing in Randolph,
45-year-old Sanjaykumar Patel, residing in Quincy,
40-year-old Dipikaben Patel, who has since been deported,
52-year-old Rameshbhai Patel residing in Eubank, Kentucky,
43-year-old Amitabahen Patel, residing in Plainville,
28-year-old Ronakkumar Patel, residing in Maryland Heights,
36-year-old Sangitaben Patel, residing in Randolph,
42-year-old Minkesh Patel, residing in Perrysburg, Ohio,
42-year-old Sonal Patel, residing in Perrysburg, Ohio, and
40-year-old Mitul Patel, residing in Worcester.
Jitendrakumar Patel, Maheshkumar Patel, Sanjaykumar Patel, Amitabahen Patel, Sangitaben Patel and Mitul Patel were arrested in Massachusetts and released following an appearance in federal court on Friday.
Rameshbhai Patel, Ronakkumar Patel, Sonal Patel and Minkesh Patel were arrested and made their initial appearances in Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio. They will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
Federal officials said that all of the accused resided in the US illegally.
Authorities said that the scheme began in March 2023, when Rambhai Patel and his co-conspirators staged six fake robberies at convenience stores, liquor stores and fast food restaurants so that victims could apply for the U non immigration status.
“A U Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity,” the U.S. attorney’s office said in a release.
The scheme would involve the “robbers" threatening the store clerks with apparent firearms, taking the cash from the register and fleeing.
The interaction would be caught on surveillance video.
Then the “victims” would wait five or more minutes to call the police to report the staged crime. The victims would then use the incident to write off on their U non-immigration status visas that they were victims of a violent crime.
The people who were the ‘victims' are also accused of paying Rambhai Patel to participate in the scheme.
Rambhai Patel, who was the organiser, also paid the store owners to use their stores for the staged robbery.
Both Rambhai Patel and the getaway driver have been previously convicted.
The 11 charged in this case were either accused of arranging to set up the robbery or were paid to participate as a victim.
The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud is awarded a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of upto $250,000.