Federal authorities have charged 11 Indian nationals in a visa fraud scheme involving staged armed robberies at convenience stores and restaurants across Massachusetts and other states. The scheme aimed to help participants falsely claim U visas, a form of immigration relief for victims of serious crimes who assist law enforcement, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.
Details of the Staged Robbery Conspiracy
Prosecutors allege the conspiracy began in March 2023 and involved at least six businesses in Massachusetts, including convenience stores, liquor stores, and fast-food restaurants. The fake robberies followed a scripted scenario where a participant, posing as a robber, threatened clerks or owners with what appeared to be a firearm, took cash from the registers, and fled. Surveillance footage captured these staged crimes, which were designed to appear genuine.
Authorities say the victims waited several minutes before calling police, allowing the “robbers” to escape. The participants paid an organizer to arrange these fake cases so they could apply for U visas by portraying themselves as crime victims. The organizer, who had already been charged and convicted along with co-conspirators acting as robbers and drivers, also paid store owners to use their locations for the staged incidents.
Arrests and Legal Charges
Six defendants were arrested in Massachusetts and released after initial federal court appearances in Boston. Others were arrested in Kentucky, Missouri, and Ohio, with their court appearances in Boston forthcoming. One defendant had been deported to India before this round of charges. All 11 are charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud, a crime that carries up to five years in prison, supervised release, and fines up to $250,000.
The charged individuals, all reportedly unlawfully residing in the U.S. across several states, include Jitendrakumar Patel of Marshfield, Maheshkumar Patel of Randolph, and others residing in Massachusetts, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, and Worcester.
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