BOSTON: Authorities in the United States have charged 11 Indian nationals in connection with an alleged visa fraud conspiracy that involved staging armed robberies to obtain immigration benefits, prosecutors said on Friday.
According to a statement issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the accused organised fake robberies at convenience stores so that clerks could falsely claim to be victims of violent crimes while applying for immigration relief.
Prosecutors said all 11 individuals were charged with at least one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. Many of the defendants were reportedly living unlawfully in the state of Massachusetts, and all share the surname Patel.
Authorities identified the accused as Jitendrakumar, Maheshkumar, Sanjaykumar, Rameshbhai, Amitabahen, Ronakkumar, Sangitaben, Minkesh, Sonal and Mitul, while another suspect, Dipikaben, was previously deported to India.
Six of the defendants were arrested in Massachusetts and appeared before a federal court in Boston on Friday before being released. Three others were detained in Kentucky, Missouri, and Ohio, where they made initial court appearances and are expected to be transferred to Boston for further proceedings.
Scheme involved staged robberies
Court documents allege that beginning in March 2023, one of the suspects, Rambhai, along with several co-conspirators, planned and carried out staged robberies at at least six convenience stores, liquor outlets and fast-food restaurants across Massachusetts and other locations.
During the incidents, an individual posing as a robber would threaten store clerks or owners with what appeared to be a firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing. The encounters were captured on store surveillance cameras.
Investigators said the clerks would deliberately wait several minutes after the staged robbery before contacting police to report the crime.
The scheme was allegedly designed to allow participants to apply for U nonimmigrant status, a visa category available to victims of certain crimes who assist law enforcement in investigations or prosecutions.
According to prosecutors, the supposed “victims” paid Rambhai to take part in the scheme, while he in turn compensated store owners for allowing their premises to be used for the staged incidents.
If convicted, those charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison, along with supervised release and fines of up to $250,000, officials said.