On July 13, 2023, a group of robbers attacked the Bucktown Food & Liquor in Chicago, stealing wallets from five individuals. It was an errant shot fired by one of the robbers that kicked off the discovery of a large immigration fraud operation.
This “fake” robbery was just one instance among many that took place at various locations like restaurants and gas stations, all masterminded by 29-year-old Parth Nayi from Woodridge, as outlined in a press release from the Department of Justice.
Authorities identified over 100 individuals, primarily from Latin and South America, who were allegedly part of this fraudulent scheme orchestrated by Nayi.
The DOJ reported that Nayi received between $5,000 to $30,000 for each staged robbery from migrants who sought to fraudulently obtain a U visa. This visa is intended for victims of specific crimes who cooperate with law enforcement.
Nayi’s role involved hiring individuals to pose as robbers and coaching the “victims” on how to report the incidents to the police, eventually applying for the visa to secure legal status. Those granted a U visa could potentially achieve special status and possibly permanent residency.
Though authorities have identified more than 100 participants, the DOJ suspects that “thousands of individuals who posed as victims” might be implicated in the scam.
During the July robbery, one of the actors shot a 26-year-old clerk in the abdomen; fortunately, the clerk survived the injury.
In total, five individuals connected to this investigation were convicted, and Nayi pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
Despite his involvement in numerous fraudulent immigration acts, Nayi was sentenced to just two years in federal prison and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine.
Many in the immigration legal community, like attorney Xavier Borjas, have expressed disappointment over the misuse of the U visa system, pointing out that numerous genuine victims of crimes could potentially be marginalized due to such fraud.
