(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Two New York men were arrested after allegedly orchestrating fake armed robberies across the country in an illegal attempt to secure immigration perks, federal prosecutors announced on Dec. 29.
Rambhai Patel, 36, and Balwinder Singh, 39, each face a count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud for reportedly staging at least eight robberies at convenience stores, liquor shops and fast-food restaurants.
U.S. District Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts said that these hoax crimes were aimed at obtaining non-immigration visas, specifically the “U Visa,” which is accessible for certain non-U.S. citizens, including illegal aliens, who have been victims of specific crimes.
Federal prosecutors said that U Visas allow illegal aliens facing potential removal to remain in the U.S. after enduring abuse and assisting law enforcement in crime investigations or prosecutions.
Two New York men, Rambhai Patel & Balwinder Singh, have been arrested by #FBI Boston’s Violent Crimes Task Force on charges related to visa fraud. They allegedly staged armed robberies so that “victims” could apply for immigration benefits. Learn more: https://t.co/WLGYAK17Zd
— FBI Boston (@FBIBoston) January 2, 2024
The alleged hoaxes involved the individuals posing as robbers, threatening store clerks with a firearm, taking cash and fleeing. However, the federal criminal complaint report that some of victims waited several minutes before notifying law enforcement of the purported crimes.
Prosecutors stated that the accused perpetrators paid the alleged victims to participate in the scheme, with one of the men also paying the store owners for using their stores.
“The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000,” federal prosecutors said in a press release.
Video footage obtained by the several media outlets shows the men entering convenience stores with weapons and staging the robberies.
2 NYC men charged with staging bogus armed robberies for immigration perks https://t.co/aet9BlvOIP pic.twitter.com/7DtVLxK9Qs
— New York Post (@nypost) January 1, 2024
Singh was arrested in Queens, New York but appeared before a judge in Boston. Patel was apprehended in Seattle and will remain in custody pending trial, the press release said.
The arrests followed the guilty pleas of a former Tennessee state worker and her husband, who conspired to unlawfully produce state driver’s licenses for unqualified illegal aliens.
Cheryl Huff and Mario Paz-Mejia entered guilty pleas to one count of conspiracy to produce, without lawful authority, identification documents or false identification documents, federal prosecutors announced on Dec. 21. As reported by Headline USA, the couple faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and three years of supervised release.
