Police Chiefs Charged with Bribery in Immigration Scheme

Federal authorities have charged three police chiefs, either current or former, for allegedly accepting bribes in return for falsifying police reports. These reports were intended to aid non-citizens in applying for special immigration visas.

The chiefs involved—Chad Doyle of Oakdale, Glynn Dixon of Forest Hill, and former Glenmora chief Tebo Onisia—are believed to have accepted cash to produce false police documentation. This documentation would help non-citizens apply for U-visas, which are available to certain individuals, including undocumented immigrants, who are victims of crimes in the U.S. According to a DOJ press release, the first reports were supposed to be filed on Wednesday.

Prosecutors noted that the alleged conspiracy also included Chandra Kant “Lala” Patel, a businessman from Oakdale, as well as former police officer Michael “Fleck” Slaney. It’s claimed that Patel orchestrated a fake robbery to designate certain immigrants as victims.

“The indictment outlines that Patel, Doyle, Slaney, Dixon, and Onisia were involved in the preparation and certification of false police reports across several parishes in Central Louisiana,” stated the press release from the DOJ. “Each report inaccurately detailed multiple armed robbery victims, crafted so that these individuals could apply for U-visas.”

The investigation revealed that non-citizens pursuing U-visas sought out Patel, who then connected them with the police chiefs. They allegedly offered improper payment for the police reports that would name them as victims of non-existent robberies.

The DOJ said this dubious operation has generated significant profit for those involved, with thousands reportedly changing hands to facilitate the fraudulent participation of foreign nationals.

The indictment accuses Doyle, Slaney, Dixon, and Onisia of knowingly providing false information related to immigration applications, specifically signing the I-918B form between late September 2023 and December 2024.

The U-visa program, established by Congress in 2000, is designed to protect victims of crime and assist them in remaining in the country while cooperating with law enforcement. However, the program has been plagued by allegations of fraud since its inception, with reports of immigrants staging crimes or generating false reports to qualify for visas.

Jessica Vaughn, director of the Center for Immigration Research, has highlighted that the U-visa program has often been misused. A 2022 report by the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector’s Office noted vulnerabilities to fraud within the program.

If found guilty, the police chiefs and their co-conspirators could face serious prison time. Each individual could be sentenced to up to five years for conspiracy, a maximum of ten years for visa fraud, and up to twenty years for mail fraud.