Two New York men find themselves in the eye of the law after being indicted on charges of concocting a devious scheme to defraud the U.S. visa system, as per announcements by federal prosecutors. Rambhai Patel and Balwinder Singh stand accused of conspiracy to commit visa fraud, setting the stage for a series of sham armed robberies designed to bolster U nonimmigrant status (U Visa) applications for purported victims.
Patel was pinched in Seattle on Dec. 13 and is being held until trial, whereas Singh got nabbed in Queens on the same day and hit the streets again after his initial court appearance on Dec. 28, 2023. This indictment stems from a sensational plot, said to have commenced in March last year, where the duo orchestrated at least nine fake heists at various food joints and booze shops nationwide, with no less than five in Massachusetts alone, according to the Department of Justice.
These elaborate theatrics involved the "robber" brandishing a seemingly real firearm, raiding the cash register, and making a clean getaway—all under the watchful gaze of surveillance cams; the store crew, in on the act, would cool their heels waiting over five minutes before dialing the coppers, the feds allege. Reports suggest the shadowy service cost one so-called victim a hefty $20,000, while Patel lined the store owners' pockets for rolling out their premises as the stage for these mock robberies.
The feds claim a couple of the hoodwinked participants have already sent in their U Visa applications off the back of these made-up armed hold-ups, seeking the protections that come with being victims of violent crimes—protections intended for those who've faced genuine horrors and lent a hand to the boys in blue. If the court strikes the gavel against them, the pair could face up to a five-year bid, be out on supervised release for three, and get slapped with a quarter-million-dollar fine—though right now, they're considered not guilty till proven otherwise, that's how justice rolls.
Behind the scenes of this unraveling legal drama, Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen took the lead in spilling the beans on the indictment, with nods to various collaborating law enforcement agencies across the states for chipping in on the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit hold the prosecution reins as the case gallops ahead.
