Indian-Origin Businessman Charged In Decade-Long Visa Fraud Involving Fake Robberies In US
The U-visa programme was introduced in 2000 to support victims of crimes such as trafficking or abuse
An Indian-origin businessman and four current or former law enforcement officials in Louisiana have been charged in a major immigration fraud case involving fake armed robbery reports. The scheme helped immigrants obtain U-visas by falsely claiming to be crime victims.
Chandrakant 'Lala" Patel, a well-known businessman in Oakdale, Louisiana, was arrested along with Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle, Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon, former Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea, and Oakdale city marshal Michael 'Freck" Slaney. All five were indicted in Lafayette on Wednesday.
According to the US Attorney's Office, Patel and the officers were involved in creating and filing false police reports over a period of nearly 10 years. These reports claimed that armed robberies had taken place, allowing immigrants listed as victims to apply for U visas, which are meant for foreign nationals who are victims of serious crimes and cooperate with law enforcement.
The U-visa programme was introduced in 2000 to support victims of crimes such as trafficking or abuse. To qualify, applicants must prove they were victims of qualifying crimes and have useful information for investigators. In this case, the crimes were completely made up.
Patel, who owns two stores and a fast-food restaurant franchise in Louisiana, was himself granted a U-visa in 2023 based on one of these false robbery reports.
He now faces multiple serious charges: one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud, one count of bribery, 24 counts of mail fraud, and eight counts of money laundering.
The case is being investigated by US Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and USCIS, and is part of 'Operation Take Back America", a federal initiative launched under US President Donald Trump. If convicted, the accused face up to 20 years in prison and heavy fines.
(With inputs from PTI)
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July 18, 2025, 18:28 IST
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