The US Department of Justice on Friday said 10 Indian nationals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for their alleged involvement in a scheme to stage “armed robberies” at convenience stores, enabling store clerks to falsely claim victim status in immigration applications.
The accused had earlier been charged through a criminal complaint in March this year, it noted.
Prosecutors allege that these fake robberies were carried out to enable store clerks to falsely claim they were victims of violent crimes when applying for U non-immigrant status, or U visas. These visas are granted to individuals who have suffered mental or physical abuse as victims of certain crimes and who assist law enforcement in investigating or prosecuting those offenses.
According to DoJ, the following individuals have been indicted by the grand jury on one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud:
- Jitendrakumar Patel, 39, unlawfully residing in Marshfield, Mass.;
2. Maheshkumar Patel, 36, unlawfully residing in Randolph, Mass.;
3. Sanjaykumar Patel, 45, unlawfully residing in Quincy, Mass.;
4. Dipikaben Patel, 40, deported to India after unlawfully residing in Weymouth, Mass.;
5. Rameshbhai Patel, 52, unlawfully residing in Eubank, Ky.;
6. Amitabahen Patel, 43, unlawfully residing in Plainville, Mass.;
7. Ronakkumar Patel, 28, unlawfully residing in Maryland Heights, Miss.;
8. Sangitaben Patel, 36, unlawfully residing in Randolph, Mass.;
9. Minkesh Patel, 42, unlawfully residing in Perrysburg, Ohio; and
10. Sonal Patel, 42, unlawfully residing in Perrysburg, Ohio.
“All 10 defendants were previously charged by criminal complaint and released on conditions. Rameshbhai Patel and Ronakkumar Patel have been taken into immigration custody. The defendants are subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed,” it said.
Staged ‘armed robberies’ in 2023
The case arises from an investigation into Rambhai Patel, identified as the scheme’s organiser, and Balwinder Singh, who acted as the getaway driver. Both were charged in December 2023 and later convicted in May 2025.
According to court documents, Patel and his associates orchestrated a series of staged “armed robberies” beginning in March 2023, targeting at least six convenience stores, liquor outlets, and fast-food restaurants in Massachusetts and other locations.
DoJ mentioned, “The “victims” are alleged to have each paid Rambhai Patel to participate in the scheme. In turn, Rambhai Patel paid the store owners for the use of their stores for the staged robbery.”
“The organizer Rambhai Patel, the “robber,” and the getaway driver, Balwinder Singh, were convicted in May 2025. The 10 defendants indicted today are alleged to have either arranged with Rambhai Patel to set up each robbery, or paid for themselves or a family member to participate as a “victim”,” it said.
It asserted that the offense of conspiracy to commit visa fraud carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The defendants may reportedly face deportation following the completion of their sentences.
About the Author
Garvit Bhirani
Garvit Bhirani is a journalist based in Gurugram. He is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint, where he covers national and international news stories, focusing on accuracy and compelling storytelling for readers.
With a total of six years of experience in journalism, he has previously worked with Vaco Binary Semantics for Google, taking on the role of news curation lead, and reported from the field on health, education, and agriculture stories for 101reporters and News9. He has also served as a content editor for entertainment and news media organisations.
Garvit holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Gurugram University, respectively. During college days, he joined India’s only non-profit student journalism network, where he anchored daily news updates and produced his own weekly show called ‘Data Fix’.
He was selected for the YES Foundation Media for Social Change Fellowship in Delhi, the Talking Data to the Fourth Pillar residential workshop, and the VOICE Fellowship in Pune.
He holds certificates in COVID-19-verification reporting, data journalism, food & agriculture, tech policy, media literacy and countering misinformation, and tackling election disinformation courses from Thomson Foundation, IndiaSpend, The Dialogue, US Mission in India, and AFP.
He can be reached on LinkedIn or on @garvitbhirani on X
