Latest news with #U-visas
Yahoo
3 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
India Today
4 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
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
4 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
- 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
