Men staged armed robberies in convenience stores so employee 'victims' could apply for special US visa: Feds

[Leroy N. Soetoro]

https://lawandcrime.com/crime/men-staged-armed-robberies-in-convenience-
stores-so-employee-victims-could-apply-for-special-us-visa-feds/

Two men who thought they could outfox the feds and scam their way into
obtaining a special U.S. visa reserved for victims of crimes are now
facing potential prison time.

Rambhai Patel, 36, and Balwinder Singh, 39, were allegedly part of a
conspiracy ring that plotted staged armed robberies across several
convenience stores with the apparent goal of qualifying for “U
nonimmigration status,” the Justice Department announced Friday in a press
release. They have been charged with one count each of conspiracy to
commit visa fraud.

“A U Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered
mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in
the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity,” the DOJ explained
in the statement.

The men, along with their alleged co-conspirators, are accused of carrying
out staged armed robberies of at least eight convenience or liquor stores
and fast food restaurants throughout the country, including at least four
in Massachusetts, two in Pennsylvania, and one each in Kentucky and
Tennessee.

According to the criminal complaint, the investigation into the
Massachusetts robberies led authorities to think that something more was
going on.

“For example, toll records analysis showed that some purported victims of
the supposed robberies were in contact with Patel before the robberies,”
the complaint says.

An unnamed witness, identified as “CW-1” in the complaint, outlined the
details to federal inspectors.

“CW-1 explained that those people posing as victims were doing so to ‘get
papers’ to allow them to stay in the country,” the complaint says.

The witness allegedly said that “each victim paid PATEL $10,000 to take
part in the staged robberies for the purpose of receiving ‘papers.’ Patel
knew the store owners and the store owners allowed their respective stores
to be used for the staged robberies. CW-1 understood that the store owners
were fully aware of the robberies.”

According to the witness, “during most of the robberies, CW-1 communicated
with Patel via a Bluetooth headset. During the staged robberies, Patel
would be in contact with the target store’s owner or an employee who would
notify Patel when the store was empty. Patel would in turn instruct CW-1
to go inside to ‘commit’ the robbery.”

A search of the unnamed witness’ phone revealed the following WhatsApp
exchange, which investigators believe was a real-time chat as a purported
robbery got underway:

CW-1 PHONE to PATEL PHONE: “No one inside how many people”

CW-1 PHONE to PATEL PHONE: “Check that”

PATEL PHONE to CW-1 PHONE: “One old lady and 1 guy inside”

CW-1 PHONE to PATEL PHONE: “Soon they leave tell me”

PATEL PHONE to CW-1 PHONE: “Lady leaving”

PATEL PHONE to CW-1 PHONE: “Ok”

PATEL PHONE to CW-1 PHONE: “Leaving soon both”

CW-1 PHONE to PATEL PHONE: “Soon leave I go”

PATEL PHONE to CW-1 PHONE: “Ok”

The witness said that Patel initially promised him that the “victims”
wouldn’t call the police after the would-be robberies, but later saw on
the news that the police were indeed called. Investigators say that the
“victims” waited at least five minutes before calling police.

At least of the robberies made the local news when it happened in March
2023.

“Officers responding to the Richdale Food Shops on Lincoln Street around 2
p.m. reviewed video showing a man brandishing a semi-automatic pistol
while demanding money from three men behind the counter,” local news state
WHDH reported at the time.

The witness is also alleged to have tried to minimize Singh’s role in the
plot because of the friendship between the two men.

The investigation revealed that one of the people allegedly tasked with
committing the robberies traveled by plane to carry out the staged crime —
and that the cost of travel was worth more than the money that could have
been obtained during the would-be robbery.

At least one of the guns believed to have been used during the scam was a
fake, the complaint also says.

Federal authorities learned that after the “purported victimization” of
the store employees, U visa applications were filed for so-called
“victims” in four of the eight robbers, the complaint says.

Both Patel and Singh live in New York, although Patel was arrested Dec. 13
in Seattle, Washington. Singh was arrested that same day in Queens.

The visa fraud conspiracy charge carries a potential sentence of up to
five years in prison and three years of supervised release, the DOJ said.


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