US visa fraud case: How 10 Indians staged robberies for U-visa fraud claims

A US indictment reveals a scheme where fake robberies were staged to claim victim status and secure U visa benefits, raising fresh concerns over misuse

Ten Indian nationals living illegally in the United States on Friday were indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in a case that points to organised misuse of a victim-protection visa route, according to the US Department of Justice.

 

The indictment relates to a scheme in which staged armed robberies were allegedly used to help participants falsely claim they were victims of crime and apply for immigration benefits.

 

What happened

 

The accused were charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud after investigators found that fake robberies had been carried out at convenience stores, liquor shops and fast-food outlets across Massachusetts and other locations.

   

Those named in the indictment include Jitendrakumar Patel, 39; Maheshkumar Patel, 36; Sanjaykumar Patel, 45; Dipikaben Patel, 40; Rameshbhai Patel, 52; Amitabahen Patel, 43; Ronakkumar Patel, 28; Sangitaben Patel, 36; Minkesh Patel, 42; and Sonal Patel, 42.

 

Authorities said all 10 had earlier been charged through a criminal complaint. Two of them, Rameshbhai Patel and Ronakkumar Patel, are now in immigration custody and all face possible deportation after sentencing.

 

How the alleged scam worked

 

Investigators traced the operation back to Rambhai Patel, described as the organiser, along with Balwinder Singh, who acted as a getaway driver. Both were charged in December 2023 and later convicted in May 2025.

 

According to court documents, the scheme followed a pattern:

 

• Fake robberies were staged at selected stores

• A person posing as a robber would enter with what appeared to be a firearm

• Cash would be taken from the register while the incident was recorded on CCTV

• Store clerks or owners would wait several minutes before calling police

• Participants then used the incident to claim they were victims of violent crime

 

The goal, prosecutors allege, was to support applications for U non-immigrant status, commonly known as the U visa.

 

Participants reportedly paid Rambhai Patel to be included in the scheme, while store owners were paid to allow their premises to be used.

 

What is the U visa and who is it for

 

The U visa was introduced by the US Congress in October 2000 under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act. It is designed to offer protection to victims of serious crimes who assist law enforcement in investigations or prosecutions.

 

To qualify, applicants must:

 

• Be victims of certain criminal activities

• Have suffered physical or mental harm

• Provide useful information about the crime

• Cooperate with law enforcement

• Meet admissibility rules under US immigration law

 

Crimes covered under the programme include domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, stalking, extortion, abduction and obstruction of justice, among others.

 

Applicants must also submit a certification from a law enforcement agency confirming their cooperation.

 

Successful applicants can later apply for permanent residency after three years of continuous stay in the US.

 

Past instances of abuse

 

Concerns around misuse of the U visa are not new and have been building over the past few years, as more cases have come to light through audits and criminal investigations.

 

In 2022, a report by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general found that the programme was poorly managed and open to fraud. It noted that oversight gaps made it difficult to verify claims, while more than half of the law enforcement agencies surveyed said they believed the system was being misused.

 

Subsequent investigations began to reveal how such misuse was playing out on the ground. In 2023, authorities uncovered a multi-state network that staged fake robberies to support visa applications, using a method similar to the one now under scrutiny in Massachusetts.

 

In some cases, the consequences turned serious. In 2024, one staged robbery escalated when a bystander, unaware that the incident was fake, shot the individual posing as the assailant. The episode drew attention to the risks such schemes pose not just to the participants but also to the public.

 

More recently, in 2025, federal authorities charged five Indian-Americans in Nebraska in a separate case involving sex trafficking, visa fraud and money laundering worth more than $565,000. Investigators said the U visa route was among the immigration pathways misused in that operation. These cases have raised questions about how the visa is monitored and verified.

 

What US authorities plan to do

 

Prosecutors said the current charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, along with fines of up to $250,000 and supervised release.

 

All those convicted are expected to face deportation after completing their sentences.

 

The case forms part of wider enforcement efforts targeting immigration fraud, particularly where criminal activity is used to support visa claims.