By Kashmira Konduparty
An Indian national has pleaded guilty to participating in a visa fraud conspiracy that involved staging armed robberies so individuals could falsely claim to be crime victims and obtain U.S. immigration benefits, according to U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts.
Mitul Patel, 40-year-old, of Worcester, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to conspiracy to commit visa fraud. Prosecutors said Patel was among a group of Indian national who participated in a scheme designed to fraudulently secure U visas, a form of immigration relief available to victims of certain crimes who assist law enforcement investigations.
According to court documents, members of the conspiracy arranged staged armed robberies at convenience stores, liquor stores and restaurants in Massachusetts and other locations. The incidents were designed to make store clerks appear to be victims of violent crimes, allowing them to submit immigration applications based on false claims.
READ: 100,000 fake degrees raise H-1B visa concerns (June 7, 2026)
Federal authorities said participants would coordinate fake robberies in which an individual posing as a robber displayed what appeared to be a firearm and took cash from store registers. Surveillance cameras captured the incidents, after which the supposed victims would report the crimes to police and later use the reports to support immigration applications.
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