Indian-origin New York man Rambhai Patel, 37, has been sentenced to 20 months and eight days in prison in a visa fraud case that he pleaded guilty to. His prison sentence is followed by two years of supervised release and forfeiture of $850,000. After that, Patel is subject to deportation.Beginning in March 2023, Patel and his co-conspirator Balwinder Singh set up and carried out staged armed robberies of at least 18 convenience or liquor stores and fast-food restaurants across the United States, including at least five in Massachusetts. The purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the store clerks to claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for U nonimmigrant status (U visa). A U visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.During the staged robberies, the “robber” would threaten store clerks and/or owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the interaction was captured on store surveillance video. The clerks and/or owners would then wait five or more minutes until the “robber” had escaped before calling police to report the “crime.” The “victims” paid Patel to participate in the scheme. One purported victim paid $20,000 to participate as a victim in one of the staged armed robberies. In turn, Patel paid the store owners for the use of their stores for the staged robbery. Patel earned approximately $850,000 in the scheme, all of which he is required to forfeit as part of his sentence.At least two purported victim co-conspirators submitted U Visa applications based on being victims of the staged armed robberies.
What is U-visa?
The U visa is a type of non-immigrant visa in the United States created to protect victims of certain serious crimes who have suffered significant physical or mental abuse and are willing to assist law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of those crimes. It was designed to encourage undocumented victims to come forward without fear of deportation, thereby strengthening public safety. To qualify, the crime must fall under specific categories such as domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, kidnapping, or similar offenses, and the victim must provide helpful information to authorities. The U visa grants legal status in the US for up to four years, along with work authorization, and after three years, holders may apply for a green card. Family members, including spouses, children, and in some cases parents or siblings, may also benefit through derivative visas, making the program a vital form of protection and relief for vulnerable victims of crime.
