Two New York City men have been arrested for allegedly faking armed robberies at convenience stores and fast food joints to help “victims” of their robberies to apply for special immigration visas, Massachusetts prosecutors said. Rambhai Patel, 36, and Balwinder Singh, 39, were arrested on December 13. Both of them have been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
Federal prosecutors said that Patel and Singh carried out at least eight of these fake robberies, where a “robber” would steal cash from the register in front of a store’s surveillance camera after threatening a store clerk with what appeared to be a gun.
The scheme began in 2023. In each incident, the clerks would call the police only five minutes or more after the robbers fled.
The “victims” each paid Patel for his participation. Patel, on the other hand, would pay the store owners to use their shops to orchestrate the staged robberies. This would help the store clerks apply for a special “U visa,” which allows victims who were mentally or physically abused to stay in the country for four years, during which they would be helping in prosecution of the criminals.
Singh was arrested in Queens and went on to appear before a judge in Boston federal court. Singh, who was arrested in Seattle, could face federal prosecutors in Boston later sometime, according to prosecutors, New York Post reported. Both of them, if convicted, could face up to five years behind bars, as well as a fine up to $250,000.
What is a U visa?
According to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, “The U nonimmigrant status (U visa) is set aside for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. Congress created the U nonimmigrant visa with the passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (including the Battered Immigrant Women’s Protection Act) in October 2000.”
It adds, “The legislation was intended to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking of noncitizens and other crimes, while also protecting victims of crimes who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse due to the crime and are willing to help law enforcement authorities in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity. The legislation also helps law enforcement agencies to better serve victims of crimes.”
