US visa fraud: Four Indians indicted for staging robberies in Chicago to get immigration U-visas

Six individuals, including four Indian nationals, have been indicted by a federal court for orchestrating armed robberies in Chicago and its suburbs. The motive behind these staged robberies was to enable the victims to apply for immigration visas designated for specific crime victims in the United States.

The indictment named Bhikhabhai Patel, Nilesh Patel, Ravinaben Patel, and Rajni Kumar Patel as the masterminds who collaborated with Parth Nayi and Kewong Young to fabricate the role of "victims" in the planned robberies. This move was aimed at facilitating their applications for U non-immigrant status, commonly known as "U-visa."

The U-visa is for the individuals who have been victims of certain crimes, enduring mental or physical abuse, and have aided law enforcement or government officials in an investigation or prosecution.

According to the reports, the four main accused paid Nayi substantial sums to participate in the fraudulent scheme. During the staged robberies, the perpetrators, posing as armed robbers, used what seemed to be firearms and demanded money and belongings.

Following the staged incidents, some of the robbed victims submitted documentation to local law enforcement to procure confirmation of their victim status in a qualifying crime and their cooperation in the investigation.

Subsequently, certain individuals then submitted deceitful U-visa applications to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services based on their purported victimisation in the robberies, as per the Department of Justice's statement.

The indicted individuals, namely Nayi, 26, Young, 31, Bhikhabhai Patel, 51, Nilesh Patel, 32, Ravinaben Patel, 23, and Rajnikumar Patel, 32, face charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. Additionally, Ravinaben Patel is charged with making a false statement in a visa application.

The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, while the charge of making a false statement against Ravinaben Patel could lead to a sentence of up to ten years, according to the rules.