Federal indictments were unsealed Wednesday against five Louisiana men, including four current and former law enforcement officials, on charges related to a long-running U visa fraud scheme. The indictments, which include counts of bribery, conspiracy to commit visa fraud, and mail fraud, resulted from an investigation initiated by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The 62-count indictment alleges that the defendants orchestrated a scheme spanning over nine years to create and authenticate false police reports of armed robberies. These fraudulent reports were then used by foreign nationals to apply for U nonimmigrant status (U visas), which are designated for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.
The indicted individuals are:
- Chandrakant Patel, also known as “Lala,” of Oakdale.
- Chad Doyle, chief of police for the City of Oakdale.
- Michael Slaney, marshal of the ward 5 Marshal’s Office in Oakdale.
- Glynn Dixon, chief of police for the Village of Forest Hill.
- Tebo Onishea, former chief of police for the town of Glenmora.
According to the indictment, foreign nationals seeking U visas would pay Patel thousands of dollars. Patel would then allegedly arrange with the co-conspiring law enforcement officers to generate false police reports naming the aliens as victims of fictitious armed robberies. The officers are accused of then providing the necessary law enforcement certification for the USCIS Form I-918, Supplement B, U Nonimmigrant Status Certification.
The indictment also alleges that Patel attempted to bribe an agent of the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office with $5,000 USD in exchange for a fraudulent police report.
The investigation was a multi-agency effort conducted by a Homeland Security Task Force as part of “Operation Take Back America,” a joint operation led by the US Department of Justice and the US Department of Homeland Security.
If convicted, the defendants face severe penalties. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, the visa fraud charges up to ten years, and the mail fraud charge up to twenty years. Patel faces an additional ten years for the bribery charge. Each count also carries a potential fine of up to $250,000 USD.
USCIS officials stated that their fraud detection unit first uncovered a pattern of inconsistencies in U visa applications, which triggered the broader federal investigation. The agency encourages the public to report suspected immigration benefit fraud through the USCIS Tip Form.
USCIS Office in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo credit: Gulbenk/Wikipedia.
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