Visa Fraud conspiracy: 4 Indians charged for staging robberies to obtain U-visas in US
Visa Fraud conspiracy: A federal court has indicted four Indian nationals and two others for staging armed robberies in Chicago and its suburbs so that the victims could apply for immigration visas reserved for specific crime victims in the United States.
Four Indians are Bhikhabhai Patel, Nilesh Patel, Ravinaben Patel and Rajni Kumar Patel. They arranged for Parth Nayi and Kewong Young to be "victims" of the staged robberies so that they could apply for U nonimmigrant status ("U-visa").
The indictment claims that the four people paid Nayi thousands of dollars to take part in the scam.
The indictment states that during the staged robberies, individuals acting as robbers brandished what appeared to be firearms, approached the alleged victims, and demanded money and property.
According to the indictment, some of the purported victims then submitted forms to local law enforcement to obtain certification that they were victims of a qualifying crime and could or would be helpful in the investigation.
Following certification, some of the purported victims submitted fraudulent U-visa applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services based on their alleged status as robbery victims, according to the Department of Justice.
U-Visas are intended for victims of specific crimes who have experienced mental or physical abuse and can assist law enforcement or government officials in an investigation or prosecution.
- With inputs from agencies
