Man sentenced for staging robberies to help fraudulent US visa bids

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 27 Oct, 21:20 · Archive

A Chicago man has been sentenced to two years in prison for organising hundreds of staged armed robberies to help thousands fraudulently obtain US visas.

Parth Nayi of Illinois was sentenced Thursday to two years in federal prison for his role in a widespread conspiracy to defraud the federal immigration system. He organised hundreds of staged armed robberies at small businesses and restaurants in and around Chicago and helped coach supposed victims through applications for U visas in exchange for cash.

U visas were created under a 2000 law intended to protect trafficking victims and battered immigrant women who assist law enforcement. According to prosecutors, thousands of people posing as crime victims paid Nayi to participate in the scheme. Several alleged co-conspirators, identified as Bhikhabhai Patel, Nilesh Patel, Ravinaben Patel and Rajnikumar Patel, were charged in connection with the conspiracy.

Assistant US Attorney Saqib Mohammad Hussain wrote in the sentencing memo that Nayi "was the main organizer and at the center of almost every single one of the hundreds of staged robberies that were perpetrated" and that he "significantly corrupted the federal U-Visa program, designed to provide a benefit to a particularly vulnerable group—foreign nationals who are victims of serious crimes while visiting the United States." Rep. Christopher Smith, the Republican who led the sponsorship of the original anti-trafficking legislation creating the U visa, expressed outrage over the alleged abuse of the programme.

How it is being reported

• Hundreds of staged armed robberies helped thousands pose as crime victims in US immigration scam: DOJParth Nayi was sentenced to 2 years in prison for organizing hundreds of staged armed robberies to help thousands fraudulently obtain US U visas.New York Post · 27 Oct, 21:04
• Hundreds of staged armed robberies helped thousands pose as crime victims in US immigration scam: DOJParth Nayi organized hundreds of staged armed robberies at Chicago-area businesses to help noncitizens fraudulently apply for U visas in exchange for cash.Fox News · 27 Oct, 16:59

In this story: Parth Nayi · Bhikhabhai Patel · Nilesh Patel · Ravinaben Patel · Rajnikumar Patel · Christopher Smith · Chicago · Illinois

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log