U visa fraud scheme in Chicago

Parth Nayi, a 29-year-old from Woodridge, Illinois, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison and fined $50,000 for orchestrating a massive immigration fraud conspiracy. Between 2022 and 2024, Nayi organized hundreds of staged armed robberies at various businesses, including restaurants, liquor stores, and gas stations across Chicago and its suburbs.

The scheme targeted the U visa program, which is designed to provide legal status to foreign nationals who are victims of certain crimes and assist law enforcement. Participants reportedly paid Nayi between $5,000 and $30,000 to be coached through these fake robberies, allowing them to present fraudulent police reports to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Nayi’s operations involved recruiting fake victims and paying store owners to permit the use of their locations. While most incidents were staged without injury, one 2023 robbery at a Bucktown liquor store resulted in a fake robber accidentally shooting a store clerk in the abdomen, causing critical injuries. Several other individuals, including Bhikhabhai Patel, Nilesh Patel, Ravinaben Patel, and Rajnikumar Patel, were also convicted in connection with the conspiracy.