US Court Sentences Indian National in Visa Fraud Case, Orders Deportation
Federal court imposes fine and prison term after convict admits role in staged robberies used to support fraudulent immigration claims
Washington, July 30: A US federal court has sentenced an Indian national to one day in prison, imposed a $1,000 fine, and ordered his deportation after he admitted involvement in a visa fraud conspiracy that relied on staged armed robberies to support false immigration applications.
Mitul Patel, 40, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was sentenced by a federal judge in Boston on Wednesday after pleading guilty to participating in the fraudulent scheme. Prosecutors said Patel was among 11 individuals charged in connection with orchestrated robberies designed to help applicants qualify for special immigration benefits.
According to court records, the conspiracy operated from March 2023 and involved staging fake armed robberies at convenience stores, liquor shops and fast-food outlets across Massachusetts and other locations. The incidents were carefully planned to create the appearance of genuine violent crimes.
Investigators said the objective was to enable store clerks to falsely claim they had been victims of qualifying criminal offences while applying for U non-immigrant visas, a programme intended for victims who assist law enforcement during criminal investigations.
Patel admitted paying the alleged organiser, Rambhai Patel, to act as a victim during one such staged robbery at a convenience store in Worcester in October 2023. Surveillance footage was reportedly used to make the fabricated incidents appear authentic.
Authorities said the fake robberies followed a consistent pattern. An individual posing as an armed robber would threaten store employees with what appeared to be a firearm, take cash from the register and leave the premises. The clerks allegedly delayed contacting police for several minutes to make the events appear genuine before filing reports with local authorities.
Federal prosecutors further alleged that participants paid the organiser to be included in the scheme, while store owners were compensated for allowing their businesses to be used as locations for the fabricated crimes.
The investigation revealed that the fraudulent incidents were intended solely to strengthen immigration applications by falsely portraying participants as victims of violent offences eligible for immigration relief.
The alleged mastermind, Rambhai Patel, along with Balwinder Singh, who was identified as the getaway driver, and another participant acting as the robber, had previously been charged and were convicted in May 2025.
US authorities said the case highlights continued efforts to identify and prosecute immigration fraud schemes that exploit legal pathways intended to protect genuine crime victims. Officials stressed that misuse of the U Visa programme undermines the integrity of the immigration system and diverts resources from legitimate applicants.
The sentencing concludes another chapter in a case that federal investigators described as a coordinated conspiracy involving multiple individuals who manipulated criminal investigations to obtain immigration benefits through deception.
