Indian national Mitul Patel, 40, was sentenced by a US federal court to one day in prison, fined $1,000 and ordered to be deported after pleading guilty to visa fraud. He was involved in a conspiracy where staged armed robberies were allegedly carried out to help individuals falsely claim victim status for U Visa applications.

An Indian national has been sentenced by a US federal court to one day in prison, fined $1,000 and ordered to be deported after pleading guilty to visa fraud linked to a conspiracy involving staged armed robberies.

Mitul Patel, 40, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was sentenced by a US District Court judge in Boston on Wednesday. He was among 11 people who pleaded guilty in June 2026 for their roles in a scheme that involved staging armed robberies at convenience stores and fast-food restaurants.

Staged robberies used to support U Visa applications

According to charging documents, the conspiracy began in March 2023 when Rambhai Patel and his associates organised staged armed robberies at at least six convenience stores, liquor stores and fast-food restaurants in Massachusetts and elsewhere. The objective was to enable store clerks to falsely claim they had been victims of violent crime while applying for U non-immigrant status (U Visa).