In a recent federal indictment unsealed in Chicago, six men have been charged for orchestrating a string of armed robberies at gas stations, fast food establishments, and liquor stores across various locations, including the Chicago area, as well as in Louisiana and Tennessee. The motive behind these criminal activities was to fraudulently obtain immigration visas designated for crime victims.

Trump's Sovereign Wealth Fund: What Could It Mean For Your Money?

The indictment, revealed on Friday, accuses the men of enlisting individuals to pose as robbers and then fabricating police reports to secure the necessary paperwork for a U nonimmigrant status, commonly known as a U-visa, from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. These visas are specifically reserved for individuals who have been victims of certain crimes, enduring physical or emotional trauma, while also offering their cooperation to law enforcement or legal authorities.

The individuals charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud include Parth Nayi, 26, from Woodridge; Kewon Young, 31, from Mansfield, Ohio; Bhikhabhai Patel, 51, from Elizabethtown, Kentucky; Nilesh Patel, 32, from Jackson, Tennessee; Ravinaben Patel, 23, from Racine, Wisconsin; and Rajnikumar Patel, 32, from Jacksonville, Florida. Additionally, Ravinaben Patel faces an additional charge related to providing false information in a visa application.

The allegations specify that Nayi and Young masterminded a sequence of staged armed robberies spanning from July 2022 to January 2024, during which the other four individuals feigned being robbery victims to illicitly qualify for U-visas.

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

While it remains unclear if and how the Patels are interconnected, the indictment asserts that they remunerated Nayi substantial sums to partake in the scheme, with Nayi subsequently instructing them on when and where to participate in the fabricated robberies.

As per the indictment’s details, the orchestrated scenarios involved faux robbers brandishing what appeared to be firearms, confronting faux victims, and coercing them to relinquish their belongings and money. Afterwards, the impostors would abscond from the scene with the stolen items. On certain occasions, Nayi and Young purportedly instructed the faux robbers to assault the feigned victims to heighten the illusion of a genuine robbery. Subsequently, the fake victims would submit forms seeking law enforcement endorsement certifying them as crime victims eligible for U-visas.

The indictment chronicles over a dozen contrived robberies carried out as part of the ploy, encompassing locations such as gas stations in Lombard and Hickory Hills, Subway restaurants in Chicago, Elmwood Park, and Louisiana, a Tropical Smoothie Café in St. Charles, various Dunkin Donuts establishments in Chicago and South Holland, liquor stores in Chicago, River Grove, and Lake Villa, a 7-Eleven in Chicago, and a truck stop in Tennessee.

The grave charges of conspiracy to commit the visa fraud and the additional false statement charge against Ravinaben Patel carry potential prison sentences of up to 5 and 10 years, respectively.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of RVM News. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.