Illinois man sentenced for orchestrating U-visa fraud scheme

Parth Nayi of Illinois has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for his role in a widespread conspiracy to defraud the U.S. immigration system. Nayi acted as a ringleader in a scheme involving hundreds of staged armed robberies at small businesses and eateries in and around Chicago.

Prosecutors stated that Nayi organized these robberies and coached participants to pose as crime victims. The goal was to allow noncitizens to fraudulently apply for U visas, which are intended to provide legal protections to victims of serious crimes who assist law enforcement. Thousands of individuals allegedly paid Nayi to participate in the scheme to obtain these benefits.

Several other suspects, including Bhikhabhai Patel, Nilesh Patel, Ravinaben Patel, and Rajnikumar Patel, were identified as co-conspirators who sought to use the staged incidents to secure visas. The U visa program was established under a 2000 law to protect vulnerable groups, such as trafficking victims and battered immigrant women.