In a major immigration fraud case that has sent ripples through the Indian diaspora in the United States, federal prosecutors have charged 11 Indian nationals with conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
The accused allegedly orchestrated staged armed robberies at convenience stores, liquor shops and fast-food outlets so that “victims” — mostly store clerks — could falsely claim to have suffered violent crimes and apply for U non-immigrant visas (U-visas), a special category reserved for genuine crime victims who assist law enforcement.
The charges were announced on Friday by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
According to court documents, the elaborate scheme began in March 2023 and involved at least six incidents in Massachusetts alone, with additional robberies staged elsewhere across the country.
The “robber” would brandish what appeared to be a firearm, demand cash from the register, and flee, all while the entire episode was captured on store surveillance cameras.
The clerks or owners would deliberately wait five or more minutes before calling the police, creating the illusion of a real crime.
The “victims” allegedly paid the scheme’s organiser thousands of dollars each to participate, while the organiser in turn paid store owners to allow their premises to be used.
The goal: to generate credible-looking evidence — police reports and video footage — for U-visa applications.
The accused All 11 defendants are Indian nationals who were living unlawfully in the US.
They are:
1 Jitendrakumar Patel, 39, Marshfield, Massachusetts2 Maheshkumar Patel, 36, Randolph, Massachusetts3 Sanjaykumar Patel, 45, Quincy, Massachusetts4 Dipikaben Patel, 40 (deported to India after residing in Weymouth, Massachusetts)5 Rameshbhai Patel, 52, Eubank, Kentucky6 Amitabahen Patel, 43, Plainville, Massachusetts7 Ronakkumar Patel, 28, Maryland Heights, Missouri8 Sangitaben Patel, 36, Randolph, Massachusetts9 Minkesh Patel, 42, Perrysburg, Ohio10 Sonal Patel, 42, Perrysburg, Ohio11 Mitul Patel, 40, Worcester, Massachusetts
Six of them were arrested in Massachusetts and released after an initial court appearance in Boston.
The others were arrested in Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio and will appear in Boston federal court later.
One defendant, Dipikaben Patel, has already been deported.
This is not an isolated incident.
The mastermind behind the operation was Rambhai Patel (also referred to in some reports as Raj Patel), a New York-based Indian national.
He and an accomplice, Balwinder Singh, were charged in December 2023, pleaded guilty in May 2025, and were convicted for staging at least 18 such robberies nationwide, including multiple ones in Massachusetts.
Rambhai Patel was sentenced in August 2025 to 20 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and forfeiture of $850,000.
One purported victim in that earlier scheme reportedly paid $20,000 to participate.
The 11 individuals charged this week are accused of either arranging the robberies or paying to have themselves or family members pose as victims in the staged incidents.
Specific Massachusetts locations mentioned in media reports include Richdale Food Shops in Hingham, Super Mart and Jimmy’s Market & Liquors in Randolph, Michael’s Wine & Spirits in Weymouth, Yogi’s Liquors in Marshfield, and Austin’s Liquors in Worcester.
What is a U-visa and why the fraud?
The U non-immigrant visa was created by Congress in 2000 under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act.
It is available to victims of qualifying crimes — including robbery — who have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse and have been helpful (or are likely to be helpful) to law enforcement in investigating or prosecuting the offence.
Successful applicants receive up to four years of legal status and work authorisation, which can be extended and may lead to a green card after three years.
Derivatives (spouses and children) are also eligible.
Critically, the programme has a strict annual cap of 10,000 principal visas.
A massive backlog has developed: as of recent data, more than 170,000 principal petitioners and over 114,000 family members are waiting.
New applicants can expect years of delay even for conditional approval.
A 2022 Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report flagged that the U-visa programme is “susceptible to fraud” and not effectively managed, with concerns over fabricated claims undermining genuine victims.
Indian nationals, many of whom work in the convenience-store and small-retail sector in the US (a community famously dominated by Gujarati Patels), appear to have been targeted in this scheme.
While the vast majority of Indians in America are law-abiding professionals on H-1B or employment-based visas, undocumented or overstayed individuals sometimes turn to such pathways when legal routes are blocked by backlogs that can stretch over a decade for employment-based green cards.
US Attorney Leah B.
Foley and FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Ted E.
Docks described the case as a deliberate conspiracy to abuse the immigration system.
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Source: This article was originally published by The Indian Express
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