Ten Indicted in Boston Over Scheme That Staged Armed Robberies to Fake Crime-Victim U Visas
A federal grand jury charged ten Indian nationals with conspiring to set up fake armed robberies at Massachusetts convenience stores so that clerks could falsely claim to be crime victims on U Visa applications. The indictment follows the 2025 conviction of the scheme's organizer and getaway driver.
A federal grand jury in Boston indicted ten Indian nationals for conspiring to stage fake armed robberies at Massachusetts convenience stores and other businesses so that the "victims" could apply for U Visas — a form of immigration relief available to crime victims who assist law enforcement — the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced on April 9.
Each defendant faces a single count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. All ten are subject to deportation after any sentence imposed. They were previously charged by criminal complaint in March 2026 and released on conditions, though two — Rameshbhai Patel and Ronakkumar Patel — have since been taken into immigration custody.
How the scheme worked
According to the charging documents, beginning in March 2023, the organizer Rambhai Patel and his co-conspirators staged armed robberies of at least six convenience stores, liquor stores, and fast-food restaurants in Massachusetts and elsewhere. In each staging, a designated "robber" threatened store clerks or owners with an apparent firearm, took cash from the register, and fled — all captured on store surveillance video. The clerks or owners then waited five or more minutes after the fake robber escaped before calling police to report the "crime."
The "victims" each paid Rambhai Patel to participate. Rambhai Patel, in turn, paid the store owners for use of their premises for the staged robberies. The surveillance footage and police reports were then used to support applications for U nonimmigrant status, which requires documented victimization by a qualifying violent crime and cooperation with law enforcement.
Rambhai Patel, the designated "robber," and getaway driver Balwinder Singh were charged in December 2023 and convicted in May 2025. The ten defendants indicted this week allegedly either arranged with Rambhai Patel to set up specific robberies or paid to have themselves or a family member participate as a "victim."
Defendants
| Name | Age | Residence (alleged unlawful) |
|---|---|---|
| Jitendrakumar Patel | 39 | Marshfield, Mass. |
| Maheshkumar Patel | 36 | Randolph, Mass. |
| Sanjaykumar Patel | 45 | Quincy, Mass. |
| Dipikaben Patel | 40 | Weymouth, Mass. (since deported to India) |
| Rameshbhai Patel | 52 | Eubank, Ky. |
| Amitabahen Patel | 43 | Plainville, Mass. |
| Ronakkumar Patel | 28 | Maryland Heights, Mo. |
| Sangitaben Patel | 36 | Randolph, Mass. |
| Minkesh Patel |
What a U Visa is
The U visa is a nonimmigrant classification created by Congress in 2000 for victims of certain serious crimes — including armed robbery, domestic violence, kidnapping, and sexual assault — who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement investigating the offense. It provides work authorization and a path to lawful permanent residence after three years. USCIS caps U visa issuance at 10,000 principal applicants per fiscal year, and the backlog runs into the hundreds of thousands of pending petitions.
Who announced the charges
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Division. The investigation involved FBI field offices in New York, Seattle, Louisville, Cleveland, and St. Louis, together with USCIS, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, Massachusetts State Police, and local police departments in at least fourteen cities across Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Jessica L. Soto of the Criminal Division are prosecuting. The charging details are allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.