Indian national Mitul Patel was fined $1,000 and ordered removed from the United States after admitting that a staged Worcester robbery was used to support a fraudulent U visa application. The case is part of a wider federal investigation in Massachusetts.
Indian man sentenced in Massachusetts
Mitul Patel, 40, an Indian national who had been living unlawfully in Worcester, Massachusetts, was sentenced to time served, fined $1,000 and ordered removed from the United States after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun imposed a sentence equal to one day in prison. Patel entered his guilty plea in May 2026.
Staged Worcester robbery supported U visa claim
Prosecutors said Patel paid alleged organizer Rambhai Patel to arrange a fake armed robbery at a Worcester convenience store in October 2023. The incident was intended to generate surveillance footage and police records that could be submitted with a fraudulent U visa application.
Court documents say people posing as armed robbers entered convenience stores, liquor stores and fast-food restaurants carrying objects that appeared to be firearms. They allegedly threatened employees, took cash and fled while security cameras recorded the incidents.
The supposed victims then delayed reporting the robberies to police to make them appear genuine, prosecutors said. Authorities allege that at least six robberies were staged in Massachusetts beginning in March 2023.
U visa program targeted by conspiracy
The U visa provides immigration protection to victims of qualifying crimes who suffer substantial physical or mental abuse and assist law enforcement. Federal authorities said the conspiracy attempted to exploit the program by fabricating crimes and presenting participants as legitimate victims.
Conspiracy to commit visa fraud carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Prosecutors did not explain the basis for Patel’s one-day sentence. Federal sentencing can consider factors including a defendant’s role, criminal history and acceptance of responsibility.
Federal immigration investigation continues
Patel’s case is part of a broader federal investigation. In March 2026, prosecutors charged 11 Indian nationals accused of arranging staged robberies or paying to have themselves or relatives falsely identified as crime victims.
Authorities have also obtained convictions involving an organizer, an accused robber and a getaway driver. The wider investigation remains active as federal authorities pursue other cases connected to the alleged visa scheme.
