11 Indian nationals charged with visa fraud conspiracy in US

Eleven Indian nationals have been charged in the United States for allegedly taking part in a scheme that staged armed robberies at convenience stores so that store clerks could falsely claim to be crime victims on immigration applications. Later, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Friday arrested 10 Indian nationals across four states in the US for allegedly participating in staged armed robberies linked to a visa fraud.
According to US prosecutors, the accused face one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. Several of the defendants were arrested in Boston, while others were taken into custody in states including Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio. Some of those arrested in Massachusetts appeared in federal court and were later released, while the remaining defendants are expected to appear before a federal court in Boston at a later date, official document revealed. It was alleged that the purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the clerks present to claim falsely that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for U non-immigration status (U Visa). The U non-immigrant visa is meant for victims of specific crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement.
The series of incidents date back to 2023, when Rambhai Patel and his co-conspirators set up and carried out staged armed robberies. 'Armed' robberies were carried out in at least six convenience, liquor stores and fast food restaurants in Massachusetts. The accused are:
1. Jitendrakumar Patel, 39, unlawfully residing in Marshfield, Mass.;
2. Maheshkumar Patel, 36, unlawfully residing in Randolph, Mass.;
3. Sanjaykumar Patel, 45, unlawfully residing in Quincy, Mass.;
4. Dipikaben Patel, 40, deported to India after unlawfully residing in Weymouth, Mass.;
5. Rameshbhai Patel, 52, unlawfully residing in Eubank, Ky.;
6. Amitabahen Patel, 43, unlawfully residing in Plainville, Mass.;
7. Ronakkumar Patel, 28, unlawfully residing in Maryland Heights, Miss.;
8. Sangitaben Patel, 36, unlawfully residing in Randolph, Mass.;
9. Minkesh Patel, 42, unlawfully residing in Perrysburg, Ohio;
10. Sonal Patel, 42, unlawfully residing in Perrysburg, Ohio; and
11. Mitul Patel, 40, unlawfully residing in Worcester, Mass.
During the course of such alleged robberies, the module operandi would remain similar — the “robber” would threaten store clerks or owners with a firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, the FBI said. The brief ordeal was always captured on the store surveillance video. The clerks or the owners would then wait for five minutes or more to report the "crime" to the police, ensuring that the “robbers” had escaped by then.
The FBI later found out that the robberies were staged and carried out by one Rambhai Patel and his accomplices. Moreover, the “victims” would allegedly pay Patel to participate in the scheme. The store owners were also paid by Patel for the use of their stores for the staged robbery. The authorities said that the robberies were carried out to benefit the 'victim', who were clerks or owners and to portray that they were victims of a violent crime, thus making them an applicant for U non-immigration status.
According to FBI, Jitendrakumar Patel, Maheshkumar Patel, Sanjaykumar Patel, Amitabahen Patel, Sangitaben Patel and Mitul Patel were arrested in Massachusetts and released after an initial appearance in a Boston court. Meanwhile, Rameshbhai Patel, Ronakkumar Patel, Sonal Patel and Minkesh Patel were arrested and appeared in Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio. They will be presented before a federal court in Boston later.