On Friday, March 13, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that 11 Indian citizens were formally indicted for allegedly staging armed robberies at convenience stores to apply for U visas (crime victim visas) to stay in the U.S.
According to the indictment, this group planned and staged at least six robbery incidents in March 2023 in Massachusetts and other locations, including convenience stores, liquor stores, and fast-food restaurants.
Prosecutors stated that these so-called “robberies” were actually a carefully orchestrated scam designed to allow the employees to falsely claim to be victims of violent crime when applying for U non-immigrant status (U visa).
The indictment claims that during these fake robberies, “robbers” would threaten store clerks or owners with items resembling guns and then take cash from the register before quickly fleeing. The entire process was captured on store surveillance video, while the clerks or owners only called the police after the “robbers” had escaped.
At first glance, these incidents appeared to meet the characteristics of real robberies, but they were actually pre-planned scripts. Prosecutors pointed out that these so-called “victims” paid fees to the main perpetrator, Rambhai Patel, to participate in the scam.
Patel would then pay store owners for the use of their premises as the “scene of the crime.”
In other words, from “robbers” to “victims,” even the stores themselves might be involved in the fraudulent crime.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the principal organizer of the case, Rambhai Patel, is an illegally residing Indian citizen in New York. He was already indicted by federal prosecutors in 2023 and pleaded guilty in May 2025.
In September 2025, the U.S. District Court sentenced Patel to 20 months and 8 days in prison, after which he must undergo two years of supervised release and is required to forfeit $850,000 in illegal gains. Additionally, after completing his sentence, he will be deported.
Law enforcement agencies indicated that the case involved criminal activities across multiple states, so the investigation was joined by several agencies. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office in Massachusetts stated on Thursday that it collaborated with the FBI, DHS, ICE, Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control, and London Police to conduct the investigation, ultimately identifying and capturing the suspects.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that all 11 Indian citizens indicted are charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud. Under federal law, once convicted, each defendant could face up to 5 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Currently, the 11 indicted Indian citizens include:
Jitendrakumar Patel, 39 years old, illegally residing in Marshfield, Massachusetts
Maheshkumar Patel, 36 years old, illegally residing in Randolph, Massachusetts
Sanjaykumar Patel, 45 years old, illegally residing in Quincy, Massachusetts
Dipikaben Patel, 40 years old, previously resided in Weymouth, has been deported back to India
Rameshbhai Patel, 52 years old, illegally residing in Yubank, Kentucky
Amitabahen Patel, 43 years old, illegally residing in Plainville, Massachusetts
Ronakkumar Patel, 28 years old, illegally residing in Highland Park, Mississippi
Sangitaben Patel, 36 years old, illegally residing in Weymouth, Massachusetts
Minkesh Patel, 42 years old, illegally residing in Perrysburg, Ohio
Sonal Patel, 42 years old, illegally residing in Perrysburg, Ohio
Mitul Patel, 40 years old, illegally residing in Worcester, Massachusetts
The case is still under further review.
Editor’s note: The so-called U Visa is a special immigration protection measure established by the U.S. government for certain victims of violent crimes. This visa primarily targets individuals who have suffered severe physical or mental harm within the U.S. and are willing to assist law enforcement in investigating or prosecuting criminal activities.
According to U.S. law, there is an annual cap of 10,000 U visas, and applicants usually require certification from law enforcement agencies confirming their assistance in the case investigation. Due to the number of applicants far exceeding the cap, the wait time is typically lengthy, with many applicants often needing to wait 5 to 10 years or even longer to obtain formal status.