Two Indian-Origin men arrested for US Immigration fraud

In a recent development, Rambhai Patel, 36, and Balwinder Singh, 39, both of Indian origin, were apprehended on December 13 in connection with an elaborate scheme involving immigration fraud in the United States. The duo is accused of orchestrating staged armed robberies at convenience stores and fast-food establishments in New York City to aid the victims in obtaining special immigration visas. Federal prosecutors have charged Patel and Singh with one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud.

The modus operandi involved at least eight staged robberies, wherein a simulated armed robber would be captured on store surveillance cameras stealing cash from the register after purportedly threatening store clerks with a firearm. The participants in this scheme, posing as victims of these faux crimes, paid Patel for his involvement, while Patel, in turn, compensated the store owners for the use of their establishments.

\The ultimate goal was to assist the store clerks in applying for a special "U visa," a nonimmigrant status designed for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are cooperative in law enforcement investigations or prosecutions. If convicted, Patel and Singh could face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Singh was arrested in Queens, with further legal proceedings expected in Boston, while Patel appeared before a judge in Boston federal court.