Overview
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts on Friday charged 11 Indian nationals with conspiracy to commit visa fraud in a scheme prosecutors say began in March 2023.
- Seven defendants were arrested in Massachusetts and released after initial court appearances, while four appeared in Kentucky, Missouri, and Ohio and will face proceedings in Boston.
- An additional defendant who had been deported from Weymouth, Massachusetts, to India was also charged, according to FBI Boston.
- Charging documents say a faux robber used an apparent firearm, took cash, and clerks waited several minutes before calling police to support U-visa narratives.
- All of the defendants share the surname Patel, and each faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine if convicted.