US charges 11 Indians in fake robbery visa fraud plot

Eleven Indian nationals from Gujarat have been charged in the United States for allegedly staging armed robberies at convenience stores in a scheme designed to fraudulently obtain immigration benefits, including a pathway to a Green Card, federal prosecutors said.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, the accused conspired to orchestrate fake robberies so that store clerks could falsely claim they were victims of violent crimes while applying for the U visa—a special non-immigrant status visa (U visa) granted to victims of certain crimes who assist law enforcement authorities in investigations. The individuals charged include Jitendrakumar Patel (39), Maheshkumar Patel (36), Sanjaykumar Patel (45), Dipikaben Patel (40), Rameshbhai Patel (52), Amitabahen Patel (43), Ronakkumar Patel (28), Sangitaben Patel (36), Minkesh Patel (42), Sonal Patel (42) and Mitul Patel (40). Prosecutors said they were living unlawfully in various parts of the U.S., including Massachusetts, Kentucky and Ohio. Federal authorities said six of the accused—Jitendrakumar, Maheshkumar, Sanjaykumar, Amitabahen, Sangitaben and Mitul were arrested in Massachusetts and later appeared in federal court in Boston on Friday. Rameshbhai, Ronakkumar, Sonal and Minkesh were arrested in Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio and are expected to appear before the Boston federal court at a later date. One of the accused, Dipikaben Patel, was deported to India after being found unlawfully residing in Weymouth, Massachusetts, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.

 Scheme involved staged robberies 

Investigators said the scheme involved arranging staged armed robberies at convenience stores, liquor outlets and fast-food restaurants across Massachusetts and other locations beginning around March 2023.During these incidents, a person posing as a robber would enter the store, threaten clerks with what appeared to be a firearm, seize cash from the register and flee the scene. The encounters were intentionally captured on store surveillance cameras to make the events appear authentic. Authorities said clerks or store owners would wait several minutes before contacting the police, allowing the suspect to escape and making the robbery appear genuine. Prosecutors alleged that the supposed “victims” paid an organiser to participate in the staged crimes, while store owners were compensated for allowing their premises to be used in the operation.

Officials stated the objective of the scheme was to enable participants to claim they had suffered mental or physical abuse as victims of a violent crime an eligibility requirement for obtaining a US visa. The US visa allows recipients to live and work legally in the United States and provides a pathway to apply for permanent residency, commonly known as a Green Card, after several years. Investigators said the organiser of the scheme, the individual who posed as the robber and the getaway driver had already been arrested and convicted earlier in connection with the case. The eleven accused are alleged to have either coordinated the staged robberies with the organiser or paid to participate as “victims” to strengthen immigration applications for themselves or family members. If convicted of conspiracy to commit visa fraud, the defendants could face up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and fines of up to $250,000. The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation along with immigration authorities.