Eleven Indian nationals have been charged in the United States for allegedly taking part in a conspiracy to stage armed robberies so individuals could falsely claim immigration benefits.The charges were announced by the United States attorney’s office for the district of Massachusetts on Friday, which said the defendants “participated in staged armed robberies of convenience stores for the purpose of allowing store clerks to falsely claim they were crime victims on immigration applications.”The alleged scheme began around March 2023 where Rambhai Patel and his co-conspirators staged robberies at several convenience stores, liquor shops and fast-food restaurants in Massachusetts.Investigators said the fake crimes were meant to support applications for a U visa, a US immigration benefit available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered abuse and have helped law enforcement in investigations.Court documents said that during the staged incidents, the robber would threaten store clerks and owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing. The clerks or owners would then wait five or more minutes until the robber had escaped before calling police to report the crime.Prosecutors also allege that those listed as victims paid an organiser to take part in the scheme. “The ‘victims’ are alleged to have each paid Patel to participate in the scheme,” the charging documents say. In turn, the organiser allegedly paid store owners to allow their premises to be used for the staged robberies.Officials said the organiser, the person who carried out the robberies and the getaway driver had already been charged and convicted earlier.The eleven defendants charged now are accused of either arranging the robberies with the organiser or paying to participate themselves or on behalf of family members.Six of the accused were arrested in Massachusetts and appeared in federal court in Boston on Friday. Others were arrested in Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio and are expected to appear in federal court in Boston later.The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud carries a possible sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
