US Court Orders Indian National's Deportation In Staged U Visa Fraud Case
· Free Press Journal
An Indian national has been sentenced by a US federal court to one day in prison, fined $1,000 and ordered to be deported after pleading guilty to visa fraud linked to a conspiracy involving staged armed robberies.
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Mitul Patel, 40, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was sentenced by a US District Court judge in Boston on Wednesday. He was among 11 people who pleaded guilty in June 2026 for their roles in a scheme that involved staging armed robberies at convenience stores and fast-food restaurants.
Staged robberies used to support U Visa applications
According to charging documents, the conspiracy began in March 2023 when Rambhai Patel and his associates organised staged armed robberies at at least six convenience stores, liquor stores and fast-food restaurants in Massachusetts and elsewhere. The objective was to enable store clerks to falsely claim they had been victims of violent crime while applying for U non-immigrant status (U Visa).
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A federal court in the United States has sentenced an Indian national for his role in a visa fraud scheme that involved staging fake armed robberies to support fraudulent immigration applications.https://t.co/SjefcebDVZ
— Three Circle (@ThreeCircleOffi) July 30, 2026
Mitul Patel paid Rambhai Patel to pose as a "victim" during a staged armed robbery at a Worcester store in October 2023.
A U Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and have assisted law enforcement in investigating or prosecuting criminal activity.
During the staged robberies, the "robber" allegedly threatened store clerks with what appeared to be a firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the incidents were recorded on store surveillance cameras. The "victims" allegedly waited at least five minutes after the "robber" left before reporting the "crime" to police.
Priyanka Gandhi, Kalyan Banerjee Discuss Congress-TMC History Amid Parliament ProtestInvestigators alleged that the "victims" paid Rambhai Patel to participate in the scheme, while he, in turn, compensated store owners for allowing their premises to be used for the staged robberies.
Key conspirators convicted earlier
The alleged organiser, Rambhai Patel, along with the "robber" and getaway driver Balwinder Singh, was charged earlier and convicted in May 2025.