An Indian-origin man, Mitul Patel, has pleaded guilty in a US court in connection with an organised visa fraud scheme in which participants allegedly staged armed robberies to portray themselves as crime victims and obtain U visas. According to prosecutors, Patel was part of a network that orchestrated fake robberies to exploit the US immigration system. Patel and 10 other accused are awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for July.
Under US law, a U visa is available to foreign nationals who have been victims of certain qualifying crimes, have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse, and have assisted law enforcement authorities in the investigation or prosecution of those crimes.
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According to court documents, the alleged scheme was led by Rambhai Patel, who was convicted in May last year. Prosecutors allege that Mitul Patel paid Rambhai Patel to participate in the conspiracy and was assigned the role of a purported victim during a staged armed robbery at a store in Warcester, Massachusetts, in October 2023.
The prosecution further alleges that, beginning in March 2024, the group organised staged armed robberies at at least six convenience stores, liquor stores, and fast-food restaurants across Massachusetts and other US states. Investigators claim that these incidents were carefully planned in advance, with store owners and the purported victims knowingly participating in the scheme.
According to investigators, the fake robberies involved individuals threatening store owners or employees with firearms before taking cash from registers and fleeing the scene, while the incidents were intentionally captured on surveillance cameras. Court records further allege that store operators deliberately delayed notifying police for several minutes, allowing the supposed robbers sufficient time to escape.
Prosecutors also allege that the purported victims paid Rambhai Patel to participate in the scheme, while he, in turn, paid store owners in exchange for allowing their businesses to be used as locations for the staged robberies.
Authorities said the 10 other individuals charged in the case were allegedly residing illegally in the United States. Investigators are continuing to examine the wider network and determine whether additional individuals were involved in the alleged visa fraud conspiracy.
Experts note that organised immigration and visa fraud schemes often rely on fabricated documents, staged incidents, and carefully coordinated conspiracies to exploit legal immigration processes. They add that digital evidence, surveillance footage, financial transaction records, and communication data play a critical role in uncovering such organised fraud networks and identifying all participants.
The judicial proceedings are ongoing, and prosecutors continue to investigate the broader conspiracy, including other potential suspects and every aspect of the alleged visa fraud operation.
