Indian-origin businessman charged with committing visa fraud in U.S.
Chandrakant Patel, a resident of Oakdale, along with Chad Doyle, Glynn Dixon, Tebo Onishea, and Michael Slaney, a city marshal, was indicted in Lafayette on Wednesday (July 16).
They were charged for creating false crime reports to support visa claims of immigrants under the U.S. government's U visa programme, according to a court document.
"The U nonimmigrant status (U visa) is set aside for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse," according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website.
Also Read | 'Unscrupulous' agents provide short-term loans to U.S. visa applicants to convince Embassy officials
Immigrants contacted Patel to be named as victims in police reports alleging that an armed robbery had occurred, so that they could apply for U visas, the document said.
Patel would ask his co-conspirators to write false police reports after charging immigrants thousands of dollars.
Patel is the owner of two stores in Louisiana, one in Glenmore and another in Oakdale. He also operated a fast-food restaurant franchise in Oakdale.
Patel was himself granted a U-Visa in 2023, based on his alleged status as a victim of armed robbery.
The case is being investigated and prosecuted by a Homeland Security Task Force established by President Trump as part of Operation Take Back America, the USCIS said in a press release.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
28 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
SC relists case in which it barred HC judge from hearing criminal cases
New Delhi, Days after the Supreme Court pulled up an Allahabad High Court judge for allowing criminal proceedings in a civil dispute case, the Supreme Court relisted the matter for August 8. SC relists case in which it barred HC judge from hearing criminal cases In an unprecedented order, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan on August 4 stripped criminal matters of the roster of a Allahabad High Court judge "till he demits office" after he "erroneously" upheld summons of criminal nature in a civil dispute. According to the top court's causelist, the matter would be heard by the same bench. According to sources, senior judges in the apex court have taken strong exception to the bench's order and even Chief Justice of India B R Gavai was consulted in the matter. The high court judge had refused to quash a magistrate's summoning order against a company which was accused of not paying the balance monetary sum in a business transaction of civil nature. Justices Pardiwala and Mahadevan on August 4 directed removal of criminal matters from the high court judge's roster till his retirement while tasking him to sit with a senior judge in a division bench. The high court judge's order said asking the complainant to pursue civil remedy for recovering the amount was unreasonable being time intensive. Calling the order passed by the high court judge "erroneous", the top court said the judge went ahead to the extent of saying that the complainant should be permitted to institute criminal proceedings for the purpose of recovery of the balance amount. The top court said the high court order was one of the "worst and most erroneous" orders that it came across in their respective tenures as judges of the top court. "The judge concerned has not only cut a sorry figure for himself but has made a mockery of justice. We are at our wits' end to understand what is wrong with the Indian Judiciary at the level of High Court. At times we are left wondering whether such orders are passed on some extraneous considerations or it is sheer ignorance of law. Whatever it be, passing of such absurd and erroneous orders is something unpardonable," the bench said. The top court was hearing a challenge to high court's order which dismissed an application filed by one M/S Shikhar Chemicals seeking to quash summoning order in a case of commercial transaction. In this case, the complainant delivered goods in the form of thread to Shikhar Chemicals worth ₹52.34 lakh of which an amount of ₹47.75 lakh came to be paid, however, the balance amount has not been paid, till date. Lalita Textiles filed a criminal complaint for the recovery of the balance amount. Thereafter, the complainant's statement was recorded and a magisterial court issued summons against the applicant. The company moved the high court against the order, contending the dispute was purely civil in nature. The high court, however, rejected the plea of the applicant. On August 4, the top court observed it was expected of the high court to know the well-settled position of law that in cases of civil disputes a complainant cannot be permitted to resort to criminal proceedings as the same would amount to abuse of process of law. Terming the high court's take on the issue as "shocking", the bench said, "It is an extremely sad day for one and all to read the observations contained in para 12 of the impugned order." The order continued, "It was expected of the high court to understand the nature of the allegations levelled in the complaint. In substance the high court has said in so many words that the criminal proceedings instituted by the complainant in a case of pure civil dispute is justified because it may take considerable time for the complainant to recover the balance amount by preferring a civil suit." The bench said in such circumstances it was left with no other option but to set aside the high court order even without issuing notice to the respondents. "We request the the Chief Justice of the High Court of Allahabad to assign this matter to any other Judge of the High Court as he may deem fit. The Chief Justice of High Court shall immediately withdraw the present criminal determination from the concerned Judge. The Chief Justice shall make the concerned judge sit in a Division Bench with a seasoned senior judge of the High Court ," the top court said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
WFI Suspends 11 Wrestlers Over Fake Birth Certificates! MCD Flags Document Fraud
The WFI suspended 11 wrestlers for using fake birth certificates after an investigation by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to combat age and domicile fraud. News18 In a major crackdown on age fraud and falsified identities in Indian wrestling, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has suspended 11 wrestlers after verifying that their birth certificates were fake. The move follows a detailed investigation by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which reviewed 110 certificates submitted by athletes — many of whom were seeking to gain unfair advantages in age-group competitions. The MCD found that while it had issued 95 birth certificates, all were done under the orders of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) as part of delayed registrations, absolving itself of any direct irregularity. However, the remaining 11 certificates were flagged as either fabricated, photoshopped, or not issued by the civic body at all. Wrestling's ongoing battle with age and domicile fraud Indian wrestling has been facing a persistent challenge: overage athletes entering lower age-group competitions to gain physical advantage, and wrestlers switching domiciles through fraudulent documents to represent different states. The WFI had grown suspicious after several athletes, originally from Haryana — India's wrestling powerhouse — were found competing for Delhi, often equipped with birth certificates issued by the MCD. The federation forwarded these documents for verification, prompting the recent revelations. In many of these cases, the birth certificates had been issued 12 to 15 years after the child's actual birth — raising serious doubts about their legitimacy. 'In several junior national trials, it was obvious that overage wrestlers had entered lower age brackets, overshadowing genuine athletes," said a WFI official. 'We're committed to cleaning up the system." The official confirmed to PTI that suspension notices were issued to six of the 11 accused athletes on August 7, while five others had already been suspended earlier. 'No genuine wrestler should suffer due to foul play. We're taking all necessary steps to ensure fairness." Fake documents traced across Delhi zones According to the MCD's response, the 11 fake certificates were associated with the following wrestlers: Saksham, Manuj, Kavita, Anshu, Arush Rana, Shubham, Gautam, Jagrup Dhankar, Nakul, Dushyant, and Siddharth Baliyan. Geographically, six of these certificates were traced to the Narela zone, two to Najafgarh, and one each to Rohini, Civil Lines, and the City zone. The MCD further clarified that while it processed 95 delayed birth registrations, these were carried out only upon receiving formal orders from the SDM — as required under the Birth and Death Registration Act. 'There is no lapse on our part," stated the MCD, emphasizing that it only acts on official instructions in such cases. Additionally, the civic body flagged two certificates where the dates of registration were tampered with and found to be inconsistent with official records. Complaint to Sports Ministry over domicile rule violation Amid the wider crackdown, a fresh complaint has surfaced alleging a violation of WFI's domicile policy. Neeraj Kumar, the father of Delhi wrestler Ritika, has written to the Sports Ministry, claiming that Haryana athlete Ishika was wrongly allowed to compete for Delhi in a recent state-level meet. 'During a recent Delhi competition, Ishika was permitted to wrestle in the 53kg category, even though she is a resident of Haryana," Neeraj wrote. 'This goes against the WFI's own rules regarding domicile. If the policy is to be upheld, she should not be allowed to compete for Delhi." Kumar submitted supporting documents to establish Ishika's Haryana domicile and requested an official inquiry to ensure 'transparency and fairness in athlete representation." (with PTI inputs) News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : wrestling wrestling news view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
SC relists case in which it barred HC judge from hearing criminal cases
Last Updated: New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) Days after the Supreme Court pulled up an Allahabad High Court judge for allowing criminal proceedings in a civil dispute case, the Supreme Court relisted the matter for August 8. In an unprecedented order, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan on August 4 stripped criminal matters of the roster of a Allahabad High Court judge 'till he demits office" after he 'erroneously" upheld summons of criminal nature in a civil dispute. According to the top court's causelist, the matter would be heard by the same bench. According to sources, senior judges in the apex court have taken strong exception to the bench's order and even Chief Justice of India B R Gavai was consulted in the matter. The high court judge had refused to quash a magistrate's summoning order against a company which was accused of not paying the balance monetary sum in a business transaction of civil nature. Justices Pardiwala and Mahadevan on August 4 directed removal of criminal matters from the high court judge's roster till his retirement while tasking him to sit with a senior judge in a division bench. The high court judge's order said asking the complainant to pursue civil remedy for recovering the amount was unreasonable being time intensive. Calling the order passed by the high court judge 'erroneous", the top court said the judge went ahead to the extent of saying that the complainant should be permitted to institute criminal proceedings for the purpose of recovery of the balance amount. The top court said the high court order was one of the 'worst and most erroneous" orders that it came across in their respective tenures as judges of the top court. 'The judge concerned has not only cut a sorry figure for himself but has made a mockery of justice. We are at our wits' end to understand what is wrong with the Indian Judiciary at the level of High Court. At times we are left wondering whether such orders are passed on some extraneous considerations or it is sheer ignorance of law. Whatever it be, passing of such absurd and erroneous orders is something unpardonable," the bench said. The top court was hearing a challenge to high court's order which dismissed an application filed by one M/S Shikhar Chemicals seeking to quash summoning order in a case of commercial transaction. In this case, the complainant (Lalita Textiles) delivered goods in the form of thread to Shikhar Chemicals worth Rs 52.34 lakh of which an amount of Rs 47.75 lakh came to be paid, however, the balance amount has not been paid, till date. Lalita Textiles filed a criminal complaint for the recovery of the balance amount. Thereafter, the complainant's statement was recorded and a magisterial court issued summons against the applicant. The company moved the high court against the order, contending the dispute was purely civil in nature. The high court, however, rejected the plea of the applicant. On August 4, the top court observed it was expected of the high court to know the well-settled position of law that in cases of civil disputes a complainant cannot be permitted to resort to criminal proceedings as the same would amount to abuse of process of law. Terming the high court's take on the issue as 'shocking", the bench said, 'It is an extremely sad day for one and all to read the observations contained in para 12 of the impugned order." The order continued, 'It was expected of the high court to understand the nature of the allegations levelled in the complaint. In substance the high court has said in so many words that the criminal proceedings instituted by the complainant in a case of pure civil dispute is justified because it may take considerable time for the complainant to recover the balance amount by preferring a civil suit." The bench said in such circumstances it was left with no other option but to set aside the high court order even without issuing notice to the respondents. 'We request the the Chief Justice of the High Court of Allahabad to assign this matter to any other Judge of the High Court as he may deem fit. The Chief Justice of High Court shall immediately withdraw the present criminal determination from the concerned Judge. The Chief Justice shall make the concerned judge sit in a Division Bench with a seasoned senior judge of the High Court (sic)," the top court said. PTI PKS PKS AMK AMK (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
