Latest news with #RapidesParishSheriff'sOffice
India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Indian-origin man, US cops charged in fake robbery scam to get immigrants U-visas
An Indian-origin restaurateur has been named as the central figure in a federal indictment charging him with orchestrating a nearly decade-long fraud scheme to fabricate police reports to help illegal immigrants apply for U-visas that allow certain crime victims to stay in the US, according to Louisiana officials. Four law enforcement officers, including three small-town Louisiana police chiefs are also among the comes amid the Donald Trump administration is working to close loopholes that let illegal immigrants remain in the US. Interestingly, more and more incidents of staged armed robberies to secure U-visas are being prosecutors allege that Chandrakant Patel, alias Lala, from Oakdale in Louisiana, along with three active and one former small-town police chief, conspired to falsify crime reports to help non-citizens fraudulently obtain U-visas – special visas intended for victims of crimes who cooperate with US law enforcement. US Attorney Alexander C Van Hook, at a news conference in Lafayette, said the police officials were paid $5,000 (Rs 4.18 lakh) for each name they provided falsified reports for, and that there were hundreds of names over the years, news agency Associated Press (AP) had been "an unusual concentration of armed robberies of people who were not from Louisiana," Van Hook said, noting that two other people were also charged in the alleged scheme, AP reported. He clarified that the armed robberies never took added that the U-visas also allowed family members to remain in the country. He added that over "hundreds of visas" were approved, according to a Louisiana-based news channel, WBRZ also bribed a member of the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office $5,000 on February 18, 2025, with the intent to influence and reward them in exchange for a fraudulent police report from the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office, WBRZ 2 investigation into the visa scheme began following a tip from immigration services in 2024 regarding the alleged crimes in central and western Louisiana, according to Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Eric this month, a federal grand jury in Shreveport charged the five accused with 62 criminal counts, including working together to commit visa fraud, taking bribes, mailing false documents, and laundering money, according to Van 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, an Oakdale IMMIGRANTS PAID TO BE FALSELY NAMED AS ARMED ROBBERY VICTIMSMulti-agencies, including US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Homeland Security, and the Department of Justice, are probing the indictment alleges that as part of this conspiracy to defraud the government, aliens seeking U-visas would contact Patel – or another facilitator who would then contact Patel – to be named as "victims" in police reports alleging that an armed robbery had occurred, so that they could apply for the visas, USCIS said in a statement issued on indictment also alleges that aliens paid Patel thousands of dollars to participate, and in exchange, Patel would ask his co-conspirators, including Doyle, Slaney, Dixon, and Onishea, to write false police reports naming the aliens as victims of alleged armed robberies and provide certification and attestation of USCIS Form I-918B supporting documents as representatives of their respective law enforcement agencies, it fraud scheme dates back to December 2015 and saw the group conspiring to fraudulently obtain U-visas reserved for victims of crimes like armed convicted, the defendants could face years or even decades of jail time. Court and jail records don't list attorneys for any of them, AP in May, an Indian man, Rambhal Patel, in New York pleaded guilty to staging robberies at nine locations across the country, exposing a big visa racket to help Indian illegal immigrants stay back in the US. Since March 2023, Rambhal Patel and his accomplices staged at least nine robberies across American states.- Ends advertisement
New York Post
5 days ago
- New York Post
Feds charge 3 Louisiana police chiefs in elaborate decade-long visa fraud scheme
Federal authorities have charged three current or former Louisiana police chiefs with taking bribes in exchange for filing false police reports that would allow noncitizens to seek a visa that allows certain crime victims to stay in the U.S. The false police reports would indicate that the immigrant was a victim of a crime that would qualify them to apply for a so-called U-visa, U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook said Wednesday at a news conference in Lafayette. He said the police officials were paid $5,000 for each name they provided falsified reports for, and that there were hundreds of names. There had been 'an unusual concentration of armed robberies of people who were not from Louisiana,' Van Hook said, noting that two other people were also charged in the alleged scheme. 4 U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announcing charges against current and former police officers at a news conference in Lafayette, Louisiana. AP 'In fact, the armed robberies never took place,' he said. Earlier this month, a federal grand jury in Shreveport returned a 62 count indictment charging the five defendants with crimes including conspiracy to commit visa fraud, visa fraud, bribery, mail fraud and money laundering, Van Hook said. Those 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, an Oakdale businessman. If convicted, the defendants could face years or even decades of jail time. According to investigators, people seeking special visas would reach out to Patel, who would contact the lawmen and offer them a payment in exchange for falsified police reports that named the migrants as victims of armed robberies that never occurred. 4 Chandrakant 'Lala' Patel, an Oakdale businessman who would contact the lawmen and offer payment in exchange for falsified reports that named the migrants as victims of armed robberies that never happened. Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office 4 Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle is one of the named defendants. Oakdale City Police Department The scheme went on for nearly a decade, Van Hook said. Getting a U-visa can give some crime victims and their families a pathway to U.S. citizenship. About 10,000 people got them 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. These special visas, which were created by Congress in 2000, are specifically for victims of certain crimes 'who have suffered mental or physical abuse' and 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. 4 Michael 'Freck' Slaney, a marshal in Oakdale, was also charged. Facebook / Allen Council On Aging 'These visas are designed to help law enforcement and prosecutors prosecute crimes where you need the victim or the witness there, ' Van Hook said. 'U-visas serve a valuable purpose, and this is a case where they were abused.' When asked about the extent of the fraud, Van Hook said there 'hundreds of names' —- specifically for visas that were approved. Previous 1 of 7 Next Advertisement Court documents Court documents Advertisement Court documents Court documents Court documents Advertisement At least two of the police chiefs had been arrested as of the Wednesday morning news conference, authorities said. Lester Duhé, a spokesperson for the Louisiana attorney general's office, said that office was assisting federal agents with 'court-authorized activities' when asked about its role in the case. The current or former police chiefs are from small central Louisiana municipalities that are near each other. They're in a part of the state that is home to multiple immigration detention facilities. Although Louisiana doesn't share a border with a foreign country, there are nine ICE detention facilities in the state — holding nearly 7,000 people. Local news outlets reported seeing ICE and FBI agents entering the homes of two of the chiefs. Van Hook said authorities searched multiple police departments and a Subway sandwich shop that Patel operated. Van Hook and others said at the news conference that the arrests do not mean the indicted chiefs' departments are corrupt. In 2021, the USCIS warned that the U-visa program was susceptible to fraud after an audit from the Office of Inspector General found that administrators hadn't addressed deficiencies in their process. The audit found that USCIS approved a handful of suspicious law enforcement signatures that were not cross-referenced with a database of authorized signatures, according to the OIG report. They were also not closely tracking fraud case outcomes, the total number of U-visas granted per year, and were not effectively managing the backlog, which led to crime victims waiting for nearly 10 years before receiving a U-visa.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Police officer allegedly provides gun for man to shoot neighbor's dogs
GLENMORA, La. () — Three people, including a police officer, have been arrested after the officer allegedly provided a gun used to kill two dogs, authorities said. The Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office received a complaint May 22 that alleged that two dogs had been killed May 25, and the killings had possibly been aided by the Glenmora Police Department. Investigators said the owner of the dogs was leaving their residence for an unknown amount of time, and asked their neighbor, later identified as Shyana Marie Bordelon, to care for their two small house dogs while they were away. At some point, Bordelon decided that she no longer wanted to take care of the two animals, officials said. Bordelon and her son, identified as Murray Joseph Gros, contacted Glenmora Animal Control to remove the dogs from the residence. Animal Control did not take the animals because there was no reason to do so, as she had admittedly been given the responsibility of care and the dogs did not belong to her, officials said. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now At this point, investigators said Bordelon and Gros contacted the Glenmora Police Department and Officer Steven Ware responded. The subjects were allegedly advised by Ware that they could shoot the two dogs, to which they replied that they did not have a firearm. Ware returned to the Glenmora Police Department where he retrieved a personal rifle which he provided to Gros. Gros then shot both dogs and buried them, authorities said. Gros then returned the rifle to Ware. Steven Ware, 33, of Oakdale, was arrested Tuesday and charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and one count each of malfeasance in office, criminal conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Ware was released Wednesday on a $12,500 bond. Shyana Bordelon, 47, of Glenmora, was arrested Wednesday and charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and one count of criminal conspiracy. She booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center where she is being held on a $7,500 bond. Murray Gros IV, 26, of Glenmora, was arrested Tuesday charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and one count of criminal conspiracy. He is also being held on a $7,500 bond. Sheriff's Detectives said the Glenmora Police Department has been cooperating fully with their investigation. This is still an active, ongoing investigation. Anyone with any information relating to these crimes are asked to contact Detective Ryan Lewis, Criminal Investigation Division-Glenmora Substation, at 318-748-4226. Republicans express concern over debt ceiling increase 5 easy ways to avoid consuming microplastics Russia launches air strikes against Ukraine Crowley man killed in Thursday truck crash in Acadia Parish Lawmakers push forward with budget bill Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Yahoo
As Rapides School Board debates vaping, 2 arrested for allegedly selling to high schoolers
Two Alexandria residents remain in jail on Friday afternoon after an investigation into a complaint about vape pens containing THC being sold to students, according to the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office. The arrests come as the Rapides Parish School Board considers changing how it deals with students caught vaping or with vaping devices at school. The Rapides Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) Unit received information earlier in February that one of the men, Dion Derek Duran Jr., was selling the pens with the illegal substance to high school students from his Warshauer Street home, which is in the vicinity of two schools — Bolton Academy and Alma Redwine Elementary School. An investigation started, and agents "began to confirm these complaints through a variety of surveillance and investigative techniques," reads a news release. The pens allegedly contained tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC. A search warrant for the home was secured, and it was served on Feb. 25. Another man, 27-year-old Antonio Malik Daniels, was at the house, and Duran arrived soon after. Both men were taken into custody during the search. Found at the house were 252 THC vape pens, THC edibles, marijuana, seven firearms, 1.5 ounces of powdered cocaine, about $30,000 in cash, drug paraphernalia, approximately 200 Xanax pills, 500 pressed pills with fentanyl and five ecstasy pills. The men were arrested and booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center #1. Both men were booked on charges of possession of marijuana derivatives with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana, illegal carrying of a firearm with drugs and transactions involved proceeds from drug offenses. Daniels also was booked on a charge of possession of powder cocaine with intent to distribute. He remains in jail with bail set at $24,000. Duran also was booked on charges of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of Xanax with intent to distribute. His bail was set at $75,000. Sheriff Mark Wood said parents should talk to their children about the dangers of THC vapes. "The concentration strength of these THC vape pens is a lot stronger and can cause THC poisoning, not to mention other ingredients that could damage their lungs or brain cells," he said in the release. 'Pandemic with our students': Punishment for vaping at school not strict enough, Rapides Parish principals say 'I want something done': Rapides School Board goes back to harsher student vaping policy, but discussion isn't over A 2024 report found that, while vaping among youth in the United States has dropped since 2019, about 2.13 million youth still used e-cigarettes in 2023. But one middle school administrator called vaping in Rapides Parish schools a "pandemic" back in September 2022, when a group of principals approached the board because they felt the punishment wasn't severe enough. "The last five years, we've seen this vaping just become a pandemic with our students, even in middle schools," said Sons Pathoumthong, who was assistant principal of discipline at Alexandria Senior High School at the time. "What we are dealing with are … these kids today are just completely bold with the vaping." The issue was discussed during the Feb. 18 education committee. Chair Linda Burgess said she was concerned that the punishment was too severe for some students and that administrators should be allowed to modify it based on a student's history. Superintendent Jeff Powell said, as of early February, 93 students between sixth and 12th grades had been expelled for vaping, less than 1% of the students enrolled in those grades. He also said students who are being expelled don't just have vapes with nicotine or CBD in them. "This is happening with students who have THC in it, which is identified as a controlled and dangerous substance," he said. "If they had a pocket full of pills, would we be having this same conversation? If they had a bag full of weed, would we be having this same conversation?" Powell said students who are being expelled for four semesters are being punished for having vapes, which is illegal for those younger than 21 to possess, and THC. He said, if the board wants to change its policy to something different than state law, it should be reviewed by legal counsel. Powell said the administration would abide by policy set by the board members. A motion to revise the student handbook to let students and parents enter into probationary contracts that would allow students to return to their home schools after 30 days at RAPPS was tabled when member Wally Fall offered a substitute motion to wait for a report brought by to a March 18 committee meeting. This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Vaping sales to students complaint leads to arrest of 2 Alexandria men
