Boston (Rajeev Sharma): A United States District Court judge in Boston sentenced 40-year-old Indian national Mitul Patel to one day in prison, a 1,000 USD fine, and ordered his removal from the country after he pleaded guilty to visa fraud and conspiracy charges. Patel, a resident of Worcester, Massachusetts, admitted to participating in a widespread scheme to stage fake armed robberies at convenience stores and fast-food outlets to illegally secure non-immigrant visas.
According to court filings and charging documents, the fraudulent operation began in March 2023 under the direction of co-conspirator Rambhai Patel. The group carried out staged armed robberies across at least six convenience stores, liquor shops, and fast-food restaurants in Massachusetts and surrounding areas. The primary objective of these staged events was to enable store clerks to falsely claim they were victims of a violent crime on applications for U non-immigrant status, commonly known as a U Visa, which is reserved for crime victims who assist law enforcement in criminal prosecutions.
Investigations revealed that Mitul Patel paid Rambhai Patel to act as a false victim during a staged robbery at a Worcester store in October 2023. During these coordinated events, an actor posing as an armed robber threatened store personnel with an apparent firearm and took cash while being recorded on surveillance cameras. To make the incident appear genuine, participants waited several minutes after the getaway driver and armed actor fled before notifying local police.
The participants paid fees to Rambhai Patel to join the scheme, who in turn compensated store owners for allowing their premises to be used during the staged events. Rambhai Patel, along with the designated robber and getaway driver Balwinder Singh, were previously charged and convicted in May 2025. Mitul Patel and 10 other co-defendants entered guilty pleas in June 2026, leading to Patel’s formal sentencing and deportation order.
