Eleven Indian nationals charged in staged robbery scheme for visa applications in U.S

Noman Sabit: Eleven Indian nationals have been charged with participating in a conspiracy to stage armed robberies at convenience stores to help store clerks falsely claim victim status on immigration applications, according to federal prosecutors. 

The defendants, ranging in age from 28 to 52, are accused of conspiring to arrange staged armed robberies at convenience stores, liquor shops, and fast‑food restaurants in multiple states, including Massachusetts, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Ohio, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said in a press release on Friday. The individuals face a single count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud.

The defendants were unlawfully residing in the United States, and one defendant had been deported to India, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.

Six of the defendants, Jitendrakumar Patel, 39, of Marshfield, Maheshkumar Patel, 36, and Sangitaben Patel, 36, of Randolph, Sanjaykumar Patel, 45, of Quincy, Amitabahen Patel, 43, of Plainville, and Mitul Patel, 40, of Worcester, were arrested in Massachusetts and released following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The remaining defendants, Rameshbhai Patel, 52, of Eubank, Kentucky, Ronakkumar Patel, 28, of Maryland Heights, Missouri, Minkesh Patel, 42, and Sonal Patel, 42, both of Perrysburg, Ohio, and Dipikaben Patel, 40, who was deported to India after residing in Weymouth, Massachusetts, were arrested in their respective states and made initial appearances in federal courts in Kentucky, Missouri, and Ohio. 

Prosecutors allege that the conspirators participated in or arranged for at least six staged armed robberies beginning in March 2023. In those incidents, one person would enter a store carrying what appeared to be a firearm, threaten the clerk or owner, and take cash from the register while the event was recorded on surveillance cameras.

The person posing as the victim would then wait several minutes before calling police to report the crime, court documents allege. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the goal was to generate police reports and evidence to be submitted with applications for a U visa, a form of relief available to victims of certain crimes who cooperate with law enforcement.

The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. In February 2025, a federal judge in Boston sentenced Rambhai Patel to 20 months and 8 days in prison for his role in an earlier series of staged robberies connected to the same investigation. Patel, described in court documents as one of the participants who carried out the robberies and served as a getaway driver, was also ordered to forfeit $850,000 and faces deportation after completing his sentence.

According to an affidavit, each victim paid Rambhai Patel and three other participants roughly $10,000 to take part in staged robberies to obtain immigration “papers,” which a cooperating witness later clarified referred to green cards or visas. Patel, who was familiar with the store owners, allegedly paid each owner between $1,500 and $2,000 to allow the robberies to take place. The witness said that during most incidents, they communicated with Patel via a Bluetooth headset and that Patel coordinated with store owners or employees to ensure the store was empty before instructing the participant to enter and commit the robbery.

The arrests come under the Trump administration’s plans to crack down on immigration fraud and visa schemes. Officials have increased scrutiny of visa applications and expanded fraud detection efforts within the immigration benefits agency, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, leading to deeper background checks, extensive reviews of applicants’ records and digital footprints, and a higher rate of referrals to law enforcement for suspected fraud. In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it’s not “both sides,” it’s sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.

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