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India Today
21-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
In big US visa scam, Indian admits to staging robberies across US
As the Trump administration acts to plug the holes that allowed illegal immigrants to stay back in the US, more cases of armed robberies staged to obtain U-visas are coming forward. A New York-based Indian national, Rambhal Patel, has pleaded guilty to staging armed robberies at retail stores across the US to help illegal immigrants exploit the U-visa programme, which offers deportation relief to victims of certain crimes. Since March 2023, Patel and his accomplices staged at least nine robberies across American 37, entered a guilty plea on Tuesday before US District Judge Myong J Joun in Boston to one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. His sentencing has been scheduled for August 20. In December 2023, Patel was charged along with a fake robbery was caught on surveillance cameras. The footage showed a burglar waving a weapon, taking cash, and escaping the scene. The "victims" paid Patel to participate in the scheme. One purported victim paid $20,000 (approximately Rs 17.43 lakh) to Patel for staging one of the armed robberies, according to the PAID FOR ALLOWING STORES FOR STAGED ROBBERIES Even the store owners were complicit in these staged exchange for using their stores, Patel paid the owners for access to the in March 2023, Patel and his alleged co-conspirator set up and carried out at least nine staged robberies at convenience stores and restaurants, with five of them in Massachusetts, according to a statement issued by the US Attorney's Office, District of purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the store clerks, who were living in the US illegally, to claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for U non-immigrant status (U-Visa).A U-Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal U-Visa was introduced in 2000 to encourage undocumented immigrants to report EXPECTED TO PLEAD GUILTY ON MAY 22At least two co-conspirators submitted U-Visa applications based on staged armed Patel was charged in December 2023, his co-conspirator, identified as Singh, is expected to plead guilty on May 22, the statement charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250, a separate case, Fairfield County Police in Connecticut last week charged two Indian nationals for staging a fake robbery in police questioned the shop owner, Birenkumar Patel, in connection with the robbery, he admitted the incident was orchestrated to allow the clerk of his shop, Laxitkumar Patel, to remain in the US by exploiting the U-Visa program, according to the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office statement. It was the clerk who called the police to file a false robbery complaint.
India Today
21-05-2025
- India Today
A fake robbery in US, American visa and an illegal Indian immigrant
A probe by the Fairfield County Police in Connecticut revealed that an armed robbery had, in fact, been staged by a shop owner to help his clerk, an illegal immigrant from India, stay back in the US. The shop owner, Birenkumar Patel, planned to exploit the U-Visa programme, which offers deportation relief to victims of certain March 9, the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office responded to a reported robbery at Monticello EZ Mart at 3888 State days later, after questioning, the shop owner, Birenkumar Patel, admitted the incident was orchestrated to allow the clerk, Laxitkumar Patel, to remain in the US by exploiting the U-Visa program, according to the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office statement. It was the clerk, Laxitkumar Patel, who called the police to file a false robbery complaint, thus getting formally involved in a criminal reported that $379 (approximately Rs 31,553) was stolen by a masked suspect who brandished an object presented as a firearm, local TV news channel, WACH FOX 57, WAS STAGED: POLICE INVESTIGATIONA thorough investigation by the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office concluded that the robbery had been U-Visa is a special non-immigrant visa in the US designed for victims of certain serious crimes who have endured significant mental or physical abuse and are willing to cooperate with law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of those U-Visa was introduced in 2000 to encourage undocumented immigrants to report to officials, the clerk, Laxitkumar Patel, entered the US illegally last year in September and faced an immigration hearing in March has been charged with criminal conspiracy, while Laxitkumar Patel faces charges of filing a false police report and criminal conspiracy. He is also under a federal hold due to his undocumented immigration status, Fox 57 County has since referred the case to the Department of Homeland County Sheriff Will Montgomery criticised the individuals involved, stating that this case—like other false reports—diverts vital law enforcement resources that could otherwise be used to assist genuine InMust Watch
