Daijiworld Media Network – New York
New York, Jul 18: In a startling revelation that has rocked law enforcement circles in Louisiana, an Indian-origin businessman and the chiefs of three police departments have been charged in a federal visa fraud conspiracy involving fake robbery cases to exploit a US immigration program.
Chandrakant “Lala” Patel, who owns two stores and operates a fast food outlet, is at the centre of the scandal. According to US federal officials, Patel paid off police officials in three Louisiana towns—Forest Hill, Glenmora, and Oakdale—to stage false armed robbery reports. These fabricated reports falsely named individuals as victims of crimes, allowing them to become eligible for “U Visas” — a special category granted to victims of certain crimes who assist law enforcement in investigations.
Acting US Attorney Alexander Van Hook announced that a federal grand jury in Lafayette, Louisiana, has indicted Patel and the police officials on charges of fraud and conspiracy. Among those named are Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon, Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea, Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle, and Oakdale Marshal Michael Slaney.
Court documents allege that Patel paid $5,000 for each fraudulent report filed on behalf of people he referred — most bearing the surname “Patel.” None of the reported victims were actually subjected to any crime, investigators say.
Further embarrassment followed when local media reported that Allison Doyle, wife of Oakdale’s Police Chief Chad Doyle, was separately arrested on state-level corruption charges, although she has not been linked to the federal case.
The ongoing investigation has revealed that Patel had previously obtained a U Visa himself and later used his understanding of the system to orchestrate the scheme. Prosecutors have traced approximately $230,000 in transactions and property worth $51,000 connected to the fraud.
The case has reignited concerns over the misuse of the U Visa program by those seeking to bypass legal immigration pathways. It also casts a shadow on law enforcement integrity, with those sworn to uphold justice now accused of manipulating the system for financial gain.
In a related incident earlier this year, two other Indian-origin men, Rambhai Patel and Balwinder Singh, pleaded guilty in a Massachusetts federal court for staging at least nine armed robberies across various US cities. The aim, again, was to help store employees or owners fraudulently claim U Visas by posing as victims in staged crimes.
In one instance, court records state, a so-called victim paid $20,000 to orchestrate a fake robbery caught on surveillance, after which the police were deliberately informed.
Investigations into the misuse of U Visas by organized networks involving individuals of Indian origin continue, with authorities vowing strict action against those found guilty.