6 indicted for allegedly staging robberies in Chicago to cheat US visa system

CHICAGO (TND) — Six people were indicted earlier this month for allegedly staging robberies in Chicago for people who sought immigration visas intended for crime victims.

Bhikhabhai Patel, Nilesh Patel, Ravinaben Patel and Rajnikumar Patel conspired to be victims of armed robberies set up by Parth Nayi and Kewon Young, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The purported false victims’ alleged goal was to become eligible for the U visa, which allows people affected by certain crimes, along with their relatives, to live in the U.S. if they can help law enforcement or prosecutors in solving the cases.

In staging the robberies, the fake victims paid thousands of dollars to Nayi, who then transferred some funds to Young to distribute to robber actors, according to the prosecutors. Nayi allegedly told the purported false victims a certain place to be at for the robbery, which ended up being a Dunkin’, Subway, 7-Eleven, liquor store or gas station, among other locations.

During the robberies and under the direction of Nayi and Young, the actors purportedly showed guns and attacked the alleged fake victims while demanding money. The false victims then submitted documents to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to apply for the U visa, according to the prosecutors.

The six people were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Ravinaben Patel was also charged with making a false statement in a visa application, punishable by up to 10 years.

U.S. visa policies have drawn criticism for their relation to immigration issues. In March, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador warned high migration rates into the U.S. would persist if the Biden administration didn’t address the influx’s perceived causes.

López Obrador said in a “60 Minutes” interview the U.S. would need to provide work visas to immigrants living within its borders, supply $20 billion in aid to Latin American countries, halt its embargo with Cuba and end sanctions on Venezuela to lower the migration rate.

“We do want for the root causes to be attended to, for them to be seriously looked at,” the Mexican president said.

Canada has tried to slow its migrant influx by imposing visa requirements for Mexican nationals, according to the Associated Press.

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