Rambhai Patel (36) and Balwinder Singh (39) were arrested in Seattle and Queens on December 13 for visa fraud. The charges, related to conspiracy to commit visa fraud, involve staged armed robberies at U.S. convenience stores and fast-food restaurants, including four in Massachusetts, starting March 2023.
The alleged purpose was to assist store clerks in claiming victim status on U non-immigration status (U Visa) applications, designed for crime victims who have suffered abuse and aided law enforcement. During the staged robberies, the ‘robber’ would threaten clerks, take cash, and flee, captured on surveillance cameras. Allegedly, ‘victims’ paid Patel, who, in turn, paid store owners. If proven guilty, the defendants could face up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Patel was ordered detained pending trial in the Western District of Washington, while Singh appeared in federal court in Boston on December 28 after his initial appearance in the Eastern District of New York. Patel is expected to appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.”
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