NEW YORK– An Indian-American businessman and three Louisiana police chiefs have been charged in a federal visa fraud scheme that exploited a program designed to help crime victims.
According to U.S. authorities, Chandrakant “Lala” Patel paid police officials in three Louisiana cities to fabricate armed robbery reports and falsely identify individuals—mostly with the last name Patel—as victims. The aim: to help them obtain “U Visas,” which are intended for non-citizens who cooperate with law enforcement in criminal investigations.
A federal grand jury in Lafayette, Louisiana, indicted Patel and the police chiefs on fraud and conspiracy charges. Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook announced the charges on Wednesday. A marshal was also charged.
In the U.S., grand juries—panels of ordinary citizens—determine whether there is enough evidence for a case to proceed to trial.
Court documents allege that Patel, who had himself received a U Visa in the past, paid police officers $5,000 per person to falsify crime reports. These reports claimed the individuals were armed robbery victims, allowing them to apply for U Visas as “cooperating victims.” However, prosecutors said the individuals were never actually victims of any crime.
The fraudulent reports listed 25 individuals, identified only by the last name Patel and initials.
Among those charged are Police Chief Chad Doyle of Oakdale, Police Chief Glynn Dixon of Forest Hill, Police Chief Tebo Onishea of Glenmora, and Oakdale City Marshal Michael Slaney.
In a related but separate state-level development, Louisiana authorities arrested Allison Doyle—Chief Doyle’s wife—on state corruption charges. She has not been charged in the federal case.
Patel, who owned two retail stores and operated a fast-food restaurant, allegedly funneled around $230,000 and property valued at $51,000 in connection with the fraud scheme, court documents said.
This is not the first instance of Indian-origin individuals being implicated in U Visa fraud.
In May, two Indian-American men—Rambhai Patel and Balwinder Singh—pleaded guilty in a Massachusetts federal court to staging a series of fake armed robberies. The pair admitted to organizing phony robberies at nine businesses across the U.S., including liquor stores, fast-food outlets, and retail shops, so employees could claim U Visas.
Court documents revealed that a fake “robber” would stage an armed hold-up while surveillance footage captured the event. The so-called victims would then wait until the “robber” fled before calling the police. One person reportedly paid $20,000 to have a robbery staged.
Both men are awaiting sentencing. (Source: IANS)
