Latest news with #Chandrakant'Lala'Patel
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Business Standard
18-07-2025
- Business Standard
Indian-origin Subway owner arrested over US visa fraud, fake robberies
A Subway franchisee owner in Louisiana, Chandrakant 'Lala' Patel, has been arrested for orchestrating a decade-long immigration fraud scheme that exploited a US visa programme meant for crime victims, the US Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana announced earlier this week. Patel, who also owns convenience stores in Oakdale, was charged with bribery, mail fraud, and money laundering for allegedly masterminding the scheme that helped hundreds of Indian nationals obtain U-visas. 'This case represents a deliberate attempt to undermine federal immigration protections for true victims of crime,' said Acting US Attorney Alexander C Van Hook. 'This kind of exploitation erodes public trust in both the immigration system and law enforcement.' Fake robberies reported for visas According to a federal indictment, Patel paid police officials in small Central Louisiana towns as much as $5,000 for each fabricated report of an armed robbery. These reports falsely identified Indian immigrants, most of whom had no ties to the area, as victims of these crimes, enabling them to apply for the coveted visas. Once the visas were approved, Patel was reimbursed by the immigrants or their intermediaries. Patel's clients either contacted him directly or through intermediaries to be listed as 'victims'. In return for thousands of dollars in payments, Patel arranged for fabricated police reports and signed I-918B certification forms from his law enforcement co-conspirators. The scheme allegedly ran from December 2015 through at least July 15, 2025. What is the U-visa? The U-visa is a special category reserved for undocumented immigrants who are victims of violent crimes and who assist law enforcement in investigations. The programme was created in 2,000 to provide a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants who are victims of serious crimes and who cooperate with law enforcement. Federal prosecutors have not said how many immigrants may have obtained legal status through the scheme or whether those individuals will face legal consequences. Patel and four police officers indicted Patel is accused of working with four law enforcement officials: Chad Doyle, Chief of Police for Oakdale Michael 'Freck' Slaney, Marshal of Ward 5 in Oakdale Glynn Dixon, Chief of Police for Forest Hill Tebo Onishea, former Chief of Police for Glenmora All five face charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud, along with multiple counts of visa fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering. Additionally, Patel faces a charge of bribery. If convicted, the defendants face significant penalties, including up to 5 years in prison for conspiracy, up to 10 years for visa fraud, up to 20 years for mail fraud, and up to 10 years for bribery, which applies specifically to Patel. In addition to potential prison time, they could also be subject to fines of up to $250,000 for each count. The investigation is ongoing.
NDTV
18-07-2025
- NDTV
Indian-Origin Businessman, 3 Police Chiefs Charged With US Visa Fraud
New York: An Indian-origin businessman and the police chiefs of three cities in the US have been charged with visa fraud, allegedly by exploiting a provision to help crime victims. Chandrakant 'Lala' Patel paid police in three cities in Louisiana state to create fraudulent armed robbery cases and list people he proposed as victims to enable them to claim visas meant for crime victims, officials said on Wednesday. A federal grand jury framed fraud and conspiracy charges against them and a marshal, acting federal prosecutor Alexander Van Hook, in Lafayette, Louisiana, said. In the US legal system, a grand jury is a citizen's panel that determines whether there is a prima facie case to bring charges. Patel, who had himself received a visa meant for crime victims, paid the police officials $5,000 for each of the people he referred to them to make up crimes and show them as victims, according to court papers. Known as 'U Visas', they are meant to allow them to stay in the country to testify in the case. The documents list 25 people identified with the last name Patel and only initials as those who were listed as victims in the reports by police officials. Patel and the police officials knew that those individuals who claimed to be 'cooperating victims' were 'never victims of the crimes', according to the charging document. In a separate development at the state level in Louisiana, Allison Doyle, the wife of Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle, was arrested on state corruption charges, according to KPLC TV. She was not charged in the federal case, but her husband was, along with Police Chiefs Glynn Dixon of Forest Hill, Tebo Onishea of Glenmora, and Oakdale Marshal Michael Slaney. Chandrakant Patel was the owner of two stores and the operator of a fast food restaurant. Court papers said officials traced $230,000 and property work $51,000 connected to Patel in this case. There have been several cases of Indian involvement in crime victim visa fraud. In a recent case, two Indian-origin men admitted in a Massachusetts federal court in May to faking armed robberies to enable store employees or owners to claim the U Visas. Officials said that Rambhai Patel and Balwinder Singh staged armed robberies of at least nine establishments – shops, liquor stores, and fast-food restaurants- across the US. They are awaiting sentencing. According to court papers in that case, a person posing as a 'robber' would threaten the employees or owners of the businesses, brandishing a firearm, and rob them while the incident was being recorded. Those claiming to be 'victims' would wait till the 'robber' got away before calling the police. Those claiming to be victims paid Patel, in one case $20,000, to stage the robbery.
