Latest news with #U-visa
Yahoo
4 days 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
News18
4 days ago
- News18
Indian-Origin Businessman Charged In Decade-Long Visa Fraud Involving Fake Robberies In US
Last Updated: 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) view comments First Published: July 18, 2025, 18:28 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- 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.
New York Post
6 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.
New York Post
6 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
