Investigation Uncovers Visa Fraud Scheme Involving Law Enforcement
A recent investigation into a spike in reported crimes has uncovered a suspected visa fraud scheme. This operation has led to the arrest of multiple current and former law enforcement officers.
Alexander Van Hook, a U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, noted that “an unusual number of armed robberies” in a small community spurred the investigation. Interestingly, many of the victims reported in these cases do not actually reside in the area.
During a press conference, Van Hook stated, “An armed robbery never happened, and what is listed on the application does not reflect actual crime victims.”
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently announced a 62-count indictment against Chandrakant Patel, a local business owner, along with several police officials, including Oakdale Chief Chad Doyle and Forest Hill Police Chief Grindixon. The charges include bribery, conspiracy to commit visa fraud, and mail fraud, following reports that the defendants had devised a scheme involving false police reports over the past nine and a half years.
According to allegations, many foreigners used these fabricated police reports to apply for U-visas designed for protecting crime victims who are willing to cooperate with law enforcement. It’s said that Patel would instruct police officers to create these false documents so immigrants could present them as support for their visa applications.
Patel allegedly profited significantly from this scheme, reportedly offering $5,000 to a parish sheriff’s office agent in February.
Lapides Parish Sheriff Mark Wood expressed concerns about the trust in law enforcement, stating, “We work hard every day. It’s upsetting when some choose to go down the wrong path, motivated by money or other factors.”
If convicted, the defendants could face severe penalties: up to five years for conspiracy charges, ten years for visa fraud, and up to twenty years for mail fraud. Patel himself could face a decade in prison for bribery, along with potential fines of $250,000 for each count.
