Four Indian nationals were indicted by a federal court in Chicago on Friday for orchestrating armed robberies in the city and nearby areas to assist victims in obtaining U-Visas, reserved for certain crime victims in the US. Among the six individuals indicted by the federal court in Chicago, four were Indian nationals.
According to media reports, Bhikhabhai Patel, Nilesh Patel, Ravinaben Patel, and Rajni Kumar Patel collaborated with Parth Nayi and Kewong Young to stage robberies, enabling them to apply for U nonimmigrant status (“U-visa”), as detailed in the indictment report.
The U-Visa is designated for individuals who have been victims of specific crimes and have cooperated with law enforcement or government authorities in investigations or prosecutions, besides experiencing mental or physical abuse.
The indictment alleges that the four individuals paid Nayi significant amounts of money to participate in the staged robberies, where individuals posing as robbers brandished firearms and demanded money and possessions from the supposed victims.
Afterward, some of the purported victims completed forms for local authorities certifying them as crime victims and confirming their assistance in investigations, as outlined in the indictment.
Upon receiving certification, some of the alleged victims submitted fraudulent U-visa applications to US Citizenship and Immigration Services, falsely claiming their status as robbery victims, according to reports from the US Department of Justice.
The accused individuals, including Nayi, aged 26, Young, aged 31, Bhikhabhai Patel, aged 51, Nilesh Patel, aged 32, Ravinaben Patel, aged 23, and Rajnikumar Patel, aged 32, face charges of conspiring to commit visa fraud. Additionally, Ravinaben Patel faces a charge of making false statements in a visa application, carrying potential sentences of up to five years and ten years in federal prison, respectively.
