Latest news with #ChadDoyle
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Louisiana police chief still on job despite indictment, wife's arrest in visa fraud case: report
Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle. (City of Oakdale) One of four Central Louisiana law enforcement leaders arrested this week for their alleged involvement in an immigration fraud scheme is still on the job, our news partners at KPLC-TV report. Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle has not submitted his resignation, according to city officials . He is alleged to have created false police reports for Chandrakant 'Lala' Patel, a local businessman who federal investigators said paid police $5,000 for each foreign national they would add to the reports as a crime victim. That status would make them eligible for a U-visa, which are available to immigrants who are victims of crime or can assist in the prosecutions of criminals. Along with Doyle, an indictment from the U.S. attorney for Louisiana's Western District implicates Oakdale City Marshal Michael Slaney, Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon and Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea in the scheme that prosecutors say put U-visas in the hands of 25 immigrants. Louisiana State Police have also arrested Alison Doyle, the police chief's wife and an Oakdale city employee, charging her with two felony counts of malfeasance in office. It stemmed from an investigation into 'unethical conduct in the municipal property bidding process.' In a social media post, state police said they obtained information from federal investigators involved in the Patel investigation. It revealed that Alison Doyle reportedly conspired with Patel to 'manipulate the bidding process for two city-owned properties.' Alison Doyle is not mentioned in the federal indictment, which includes a sizable list of personal property, bank accounts and vehicles belonging to the five defendants that are eligible for forfeiture should they be tied to the offenses detailed. According to KPLC, Alison Doyle left her job with the city in May. The police chief has not responded to calls from the station. Chad Doyle's elected term as police chief runs through the end of 2028. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Wife of embattled Louisiana police chief charged in immigration visa fraud scheme also arrested
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The wife of a Louisiana police chief, who earlier this week was charged for his alleged role in a mass immigration visa fraud scheme, has also been arrested, state police said Thursday. Alison Doyle, a former employee of the small city of Oakdale, has been charged with two counts of malfeasance in office. State police allege that Doyle conspired with local business owner Chandrakant 'Lala' Patel, who authorities say was a central figure in the visa fraud operation, to 'manipulate the bidding process' for two city owned properties. It is unclear if Doyle's alleged crime is at all related to the area's immigration visa fraud. However, Both Doyle's husband and Patel were among the five people arrested this week for their roles in a nearly decade-long plot that involved small-town police chiefs being paid $5,000 in exchange for filing false police reports that named hundreds of noncitizens as victims of armed robberies. The fabricated police reports would be sold to immigrants who would use them to apply for a special visa program that can give some crime victims and their families a pathway to U.S. citizenship. As a result of the sweeping federal investigation, Patel and Oakdale police Chief Chad Doyle were arrested, along with Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon, former Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea and Michael 'Freck' Slaney, a marshal in Oakdale. Doyle and Slaney were appointed defense attorneys Thursday who did not immediately return messages from The Associated Press seeking comment. Patel told court officials he had retained counsel, but it was not clear from court records who would represent him. When asked about the extent of the fraud on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook said that there were 'hundreds of names' specifically for visas that were approved. It remains unclear what, if anything, will happen to the migrants accused of obtaining the fraudulent visas. Prosecutors have declined to say whether they might face charges, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said only that the agency is 'committed to protecting the integrity of the immigration system from abuse and holding accountable those who exploit it.' The special visas, dubbed a U visa, are set aside for people who are victims of certain crimes and who 'are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity,' based on a description of the program published by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. About 10,000 people got such visas in the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30, 2022, which was the most recent period for which the Homeland Security Department has published data. —- Mustian reported from New York.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Wife of embattled Louisiana police chief charged in immigration visa fraud scheme also arrested
The wife of a Louisiana police chief, who earlier this week was charged for his alleged role in a mass immigration visa fraud scheme, has also been arrested, state police said Thursday. Alison Doyle, a former employee of the small city of Oakdale, has been charged with two counts of malfeasance in office. State police allege that Doyle conspired with local business owner Chandrakant 'Lala' Patel, who authorities say was a central figure in the visa fraud operation, to 'manipulate the bidding process' for two city owned properties. It is unclear if Doyle's alleged crime is at all related to the area's immigration visa fraud. However, Both Doyle's husband and Patel were among the five people arrested this week for their roles in a nearly decade-long plot that involved small-town police chiefs being paid $5,000 in exchange for filing false police reports that named hundreds of noncitizens as victims of armed robberies. The fabricated police reports would be sold to immigrants who would use them to apply for a special visa program that can give some crime victims and their families a pathway to U.S. citizenship. As a result of the sweeping federal investigation, Patel and Oakdale police Chief Chad Doyle were arrested, along with Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon, former Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea and Michael 'Freck' Slaney, a marshal in Oakdale. Doyle and Slaney were appointed defense attorneys Thursday who did not immediately return messages from The Associated Press seeking comment. Patel told court officials he had retained counsel, but it was not clear from court records who would represent him. When asked about the extent of the fraud on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook said that there were 'hundreds of names' specifically for visas that were approved. It remains unclear what, if anything, will happen to the migrants accused of obtaining the fraudulent visas. Prosecutors have declined to say whether they might face charges, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said only that the agency is 'committed to protecting the integrity of the immigration system from abuse and holding accountable those who exploit it.' The special visas, dubbed a U visa, are set aside for people who are victims of certain crimes and who 'are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity,' based on a description of the program published by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. About 10,000 people got such visas in the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30, 2022, which was the most recent period for which the Homeland Security Department has published data. —-
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Associated Press
Wife of embattled Louisiana police chief charged in immigration visa fraud scheme also arrested
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The wife of a Louisiana police chief, who earlier this week was charged for his alleged role in a mass immigration visa fraud scheme, has also been arrested, state police said Thursday. Alison Doyle, a former employee of the small city of Oakdale, has been charged with two counts of malfeasance in office. State police allege that Doyle conspired with local business owner Chandrakant 'Lala' Patel, who authorities say was a central figure in the visa fraud operation, to 'manipulate the bidding process' for two city owned properties. It is unclear if Doyle's alleged crime is at all related to the area's immigration visa fraud. However, Both Doyle's husband and Patel were among the five people arrested this week for their roles in a nearly decade-long plot that involved small-town police chiefs being paid $5,000 in exchange for filing false police reports that named hundreds of noncitizens as victims of armed robberies. The fabricated police reports would be sold to immigrants who would use them to apply for a special visa program that can give some crime victims and their families a pathway to U.S. citizenship. As a result of the sweeping federal investigation, Patel and Oakdale police Chief Chad Doyle were arrested, along with Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon, former Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea and Michael 'Freck' Slaney, a marshal in Oakdale. Doyle and Slaney were appointed defense attorneys Thursday who did not immediately return messages from The Associated Press seeking comment. Patel told court officials he had retained counsel, but it was not clear from court records who would represent him. When asked about the extent of the fraud on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook said that there were 'hundreds of names' specifically for visas that were approved. It remains unclear what, if anything, will happen to the migrants accused of obtaining the fraudulent visas. Prosecutors have declined to say whether they might face charges, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said only that the agency is 'committed to protecting the integrity of the immigration system from abuse and holding accountable those who exploit it.' The special visas, dubbed a U visa, are set aside for people who are victims of certain crimes and who 'are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity,' based on a description of the program published by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. About 10,000 people got such visas in the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30, 2022, which was the most recent period for which the Homeland Security Department has published data. —- Mustian reported from New York.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Louisiana police chiefs charged with reporting fake crimes against immigrants in visa fraud scheme
Three current or former Louisiana police chiefs were among those indicted in an alleged scheme to drum up bogus crimes against immigrants so they could qualify for a special visa that allows noncitizen crime victims to remain in the US. The top cops allegedly took 'hundreds' of bribes in exchange for filing false police reports detailing made-up crimes against the immigrants, which under certain circumstances would qualify them for a U-visa, creating a pathway to citizenship. 3 US Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced the charges against five men, including three current or former Louisiana police chiefs. AP US Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana Alexander C. Van Hook told reporters in Lafayette Wednesday that the men were paid $5,000 per name they provided a false report for, and that there were 'hundreds' of names. The five men charged are Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle, Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon, former Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea, Michael 'Freck' Slaney, a marshal in Oakdale, and Chandrakant 'Lala' Patel, a businessman in Oakdale. 3 Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle Oakdale City Police Department Van Hook said there had been 'an unusual concentration of armed robberies of people who were not from Louisiana' reported — which never actually took place. A grand jury in Shreveport charged the men in a 62-count indictment over the alleged scheme, slapping them with conspiracy to commit visa fraud, visa fraud, bribery, mail fraud and money laundering charges. Two of the ex-chiefs have been arrested as of Wednesday's press conference, authorities said. 3 Michael 'freck' Slaney, a marshal in Oakdale, Louisiana. Facebook / Allen Council On Aging According to the Department of Homeland Security, around 10,000 people received U-visas between Sept. 30, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2022 — the most current data the agency makes available. The special visas are reserved for those 'who have suffered mental or physical abuse' or who are 'helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity,' the agency writes. In 2021, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services warned that the U-visa program was susceptible to fraud after an Office of the Inspector General audit determined the program was being ineffectively administrated. Louisiana is home to nine Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, with around 7,000 inmates in all, many awaiting deportation. With Post wires
