Ten Indian Nationals Indicted in Boston for Alleged Fraud Involving Staged Robberies to Obtain U Visas

A federal grand jury in Boston indicted ten Indian nationals on charges related to conspiring to stage phony armed robberies to fraudulently obtain U visas, Forbes reported. The indictment was issued recently as of May 07, 2026. Rambhai Patel and his co-conspirators staged phony armed robberies at at least six convenience stores, liquor stores and fast food restaurants in Massachusetts.

During the staged robberies the make-believe robbers appeared to threaten store clerks with a gun, took cash from the register, and fled while captured on surveillance video. In each staged robbery the victims waited five or more minutes after the robber left before reporting the crime to police. Law enforcement noticed that clerks appeared surprisingly calm during the robberies.

Law enforcement observed that firearms used in the staged robberies appeared to be fake. Videos from several different staged robberies appeared to show the same person committing multiple robberies. This five-minute delay in reporting was a red flag that led to the arrests of the ten charged conspirators, according to Massachusetts law enforcement.

Balwinder Singh was identified as the phony robber. Balwinder Singh cooperated with law enforcement and led them to Rambhai Patel. In 2025 Balwinder Singh and Rambhai Patel pleaded guilty to charges related to the phony robberies and visa fraud.

The ten individuals charged in the April indictments are alleged to have set up the robberies or paid for themselves or family members to be victims of the robberies, according to the federal grand jury indictment. Forbes reported that the real crime was perpetrated by the “victims” of the phony robberies falsely applying for U-visa status, the store owners who were paid for the use of their stores and Patel and his co-conspirators who were paid to set up the entire scenario.

The U non-immigrant visa program was created by Congress in 2000 through the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act.

A U visa allows the victim to remain legally in the United States. To qualify for a U visa an applicant must have been a victim of a serious crime in the United States and suffered physical or psychological harm. U visa applications require certification from a law enforcement agency that a crime occurred and that the victim was helpful in the investigation.

An approved U visa grants temporary legal status for four years. U visa recipients become eligible to apply for a green card after three years. In 2025 similar charges were brought against Chandrakant Patel, a Louisiana business owner and U visa recipient.

Chandrakant Patel is accused of conspiring with the chiefs of police of four Louisiana cities to perpetrate phony armed robbery U-visa scams by writing up police reports for non-existent robberies. The cases against Chandrakant Patel and the four Louisiana police chiefs are awaiting trial.