11 Gujaratis charged in US for staging robberies to secure U visas

Ahmedabad: Eleven Indian nationals from Gujarat have been charged in the United States for allegedly staging armed robberies at convenience stores to fraudulently claim victim status and secure immigration benefits under the U visa programme, federal officials said on Friday.According to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, the group is accused of conspiring to execute fake robberies at several stores in Massachusetts to help clerks pose as victims of violent crime and apply for the U visa, which is granted to victims who assist law enforcement. The accused have been identified as Jitendrakumar Patel (39), Maheshkumar Patel (36), Sanjaykumar Patel (45), Dipikaben Patel (40), Rameshbhai Patel (52), Amitabahen Patel (43), Ronakkumar Patel (28), Sangitaben Patel (36), Minkesh Patel (42), Sonal Patel (42) and Mitul Patel (40). Investigators said several members of the group were living unlawfully in different parts of the US.Six of them were arrested in Massachusetts and produced before a federal court in Boston on Friday. The remaining suspects were detained in Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio, and will be presented before the Boston court later.The investigation revealed that the accused allegedly paid an organiser to coordinate staged robberies at convenience stores, liquor shops and fast-food outlets. In each incident, a person acting as a robber would threaten clerks with what appeared to be a firearm, take cash and flee, while the entire scene was recorded on surveillance cameras.Officials said clerks intentionally waited several minutes before calling police to make the incident appear real. The supposed victims allegedly paid the organiser to participate in the scheme, and store owners were compensated for allowing their premises to be used.The organiser, the individual posing as the robber and the getaway driver had already been arrested and convicted earlier.Federal prosecutors said the conspiracy enabled participants to falsely claim mental or physical abuse in a violent crime and pursue legal immigration status in the US.If convicted, the accused face up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and fines of up to $250,000.The case is being investigated by the FBI along with immigration authorities.