Green card fraud to illegal hiring: Gujarati businessman's scam explained

A federal investigation in West Virginia uncovered unlawful employment, cash payments and a sham marriage used to seek a US green card

What began as an immigration fraud investigation has widened into a case involving unlawful employment, cash payments and marriage fraud, drawing in a business owner and his family in West Virginia.

 

A Gujarati-origin man was sentenced to three years of federal probation and fined $10,000 after admitting he knowingly violated US employment laws by hiring and supporting an undocumented worker. The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia announced the sentencing on January 9.

 

Beyond offering a job, prosecutors said the assistance ran much deeper, ranging from housing support to cash payments. The case forms part of a wider federal push against immigration-related offences.

   

Employment that went beyond the workplace

 

Rajesh Patel, 51, a resident of Ronceverte in Greenbrier County, pleaded guilty to hiring and aiding Aakash Makwana, 30, an Indian national from Gujarat who had overstayed his visa in the US.

 

Federal prosecutors in Beckley said court documents showed Makwana worked at a business owned and operated by Patel in Fairlea from November 2020 until at least September 2024. Patel admitted he continued to employ Makwana even after knowing his visa had expired and that he was unlawfully present in the country.

 

Investigators said Patel’s role extended well beyond employment. As Makwana did not own a vehicle, Patel regularly drove him to and from work and other locations.

 

Prosecutors said Patel also:

 

— Paid Makwana’s rent

— Provided groceries for most of the period Makwana worked at the business

— Avoided paying payroll taxes on Makwana’s wages

— Paid him in cash, off the books 

 

How the case came to light

 

The arrangement surfaced after Makwana was arrested in a separate immigration fraud investigation. On October 8, 2025, he was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated identity theft.

 

Court records showed Makwana entered into a fraudulent marriage with a US citizen in an attempt to secure lawful permanent residency, commonly known as a green card. As part of the scheme, Makwana and his associates allegedly fabricated documents and later filed a false petition claiming domestic violence to support his immigration application.

 

The fraud was uncovered during a federal probe, leading to his arrest and conviction. Makwana is expected to face deportation proceedings after completing his prison sentence.

 

Patel’s role in marriage fraud

 

During his plea, Patel admitted he was aware of the marriage fraud conspiracy. Prosecutors said he aided and abetted the scheme by making cash payments to Makwana’s co-conspirators.

 

The US citizen who married Makwana under the arrangement, Kalee Ann Huff of Illinois, was earlier sentenced to five years of federal probation for marriage fraud and perjury. Her brother-in-law, Joseph Sanchez, who helped arrange the sham marriage, also received five years of probation.

 

Patel’s wife, Avani Patel, 44, pleaded guilty to unlawfully employing an alien and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13.

 

Federal prosecutors said the investigation was carried out by Homeland Security Investigations and US Citizenship and Immigration Services as part of the Department of Justice’s nationwide “Operation Take Back America”.

 

Timeline of the visa overstay and fake marriage

 

Court records outlined a detailed timeline of Makwana’s actions.

 

Makwana arrived in the US on November 23, 2019, on a J-1 visa meant for temporary work in the hospitality sector. The visa expired on November 24, 2020, but he remained in the country unlawfully.

 

By August 2021, Makwana had agreed to pay $10,000, around Rs 8.32 lakh, to a US citizen to marry him so he could apply for permanent residency. At the time, he was living in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, and working without authorisation.

 

Makwana and the US citizen married on September 3, 2021. To support his green card application, prosecutors said he fabricated evidence showing they lived together.

 

This included:

 

< Forging a lease agreement

< Adding her name to his utility bills and bank accounts

< Forging a property manager’s signature

 

The forged signature led to an aggravated identity theft charge.

 

US authorities’ warning on immigration fraud

 

US Citizenship and Immigration Services has repeatedly warned against dishonesty in immigration filings. “If you lie on your citizenship application, we will find out,” the agency said last month.

 

USCIS also runs an online portal where people, often US citizens, can report suspected marriage fraud. Tips can be submitted anonymously, though the agency encourages people to provide detailed information such as names, dates, addresses and supporting evidence.

 

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement often becomes involved once potential fraud is flagged. If violations are confirmed, deportation proceedings usually follow.