An Indian national unlawfully residing in Worcester, Massachusetts, was sentenced in federal court in Boston on July 21 for participating in a conspiracy to stage armed robberies at convenience stores as part of a visa fraud scheme. Mitul Patel, 40, received a sentence of time served and a $1,000 fine from U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun. Patel was also ordered removed from the United States.
Patel was one of eleven individuals charged by criminal complaint in March 2026 and pleaded guilty the following June. According to charging documents, beginning in March 2023, Rambhai Patel and his co-conspirators organized staged armed robberies at six or more stores and restaurants across Massachusetts and other states. The purpose was to allow store clerks to falsely claim they were victims of violent crimes on applications for U non-immigration status visas (U Visas), which are available to victims who have suffered abuse and assisted law enforcement.
During these incidents, an alleged “robber” would threaten clerks with what appeared to be a firearm before taking cash from the register while surveillance cameras recorded the event. Clerks would wait several minutes after the “robber” left before calling police. Each clerk is alleged to have paid Rambhai Patel for participation; Rambhai Patel then compensated store owners for use of their locations.
The organizer, Rambhai Patel, along with the “robber” and getaway driver Balwinder Singh, were previously convicted in May 2025. Mitul Patel participated as a “victim” during an October 2023 staged robbery at a Worcester store after paying Rambhai Patel.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the sentencing alongside Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division. Multiple agencies contributed assistance including several U.S. Attorney’s Offices across different districts; FBI field offices; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; state police; district attorney offices; as well as numerous local police departments across multiple states.
The details contained within charging documents remain allegations regarding any remaining defendants, who are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court proceedings.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts enforces federal laws throughout Massachusetts—including prosecutions involving civil rights violations—and operates facilities at several locations including Boston’s John Joseph Moakley United States Federal Courthouse, according to the official website.