A large-scale immigration fraud scheme has been uncovered in the United States, involving an Indian origin businessman and several senior law enforcement officials. Chandrakant “Lala” Patel, who is the owner of a Subway restaurant and other retail stores in Louisiana, has been arrested along with three police chiefs and a marshal for reportedly making fake crime reports and helping immigrants in fraudulently obtaining U visas or non-immigrant status. It’s is a type of visa reserved for crime victims who are assisting in investigations.
US authorities have launched a probe after observing unusual patterns in U Visa application forms. A 62-count indictment underlines how the group was working for almost a decade, falsifying reports of armed robberies to falsely present individuals as victims.
🚨 BREAKING: The Trump admin has ARRESTED a Subway restauranteur for mass IMMIGRATION FRAUD
The owner, Chandrakant Patel, helped HUNDREDS of Indians illegally receive visas by paying cops $5K for fake police reports, making the alien eligible for visas reserved for victims of… pic.twitter.com/e7J0q8MDrv
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 17, 2025
Who is Chandrakant ‘Lala’ Patel?
Patel has also been alleged to have paid $5,000 to law enforcement officers for every fake report. These documents falsely mentioned that many immigrants whom Patel knew were victims of armed robberies. The reports were then submitted along with U visa applications, which needed verification from a law enforcement agency.
Those who have been charged along with Patel include Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle, former Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea, Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon, and Oakdale Marshal Michael Slaney. All of them have been charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud, corruption, and mail fraud. If proven guilty, they could face a jail term between 5 to 20 years along with a penalty of $250,000 per person. A total of $230,000 has been found in cash and $51,000 in property related to the scheme.
More Indian-origin individuals are involved in the US visa fraud case
As part of a broader crackdown, officials have also highlighted similar cases involving India-origin individuals. In May, two men pleaded guilty in Massachusetts for conducting a fake armed robbery to assist migrants in qualifying for U visas.
In a separate case, a New Jersey-based Indian-origin man, Pranav Patel, was awarded six years and three months in federal prison in San Francisco for defrauding $1.7 million. As per a PTI report, he played the role of ‘’money mule’’ in a scheme and targeted elderly victims by making fake government calls. Some were informed that they would face arrest warrants or be required to submit money or gold for safekeeping. Patel was arrested in December 2023 while picking up a box of gold.