“Purported Robberies Were Staged” to Support “Fraudulent Visa Applications”

In or around June 2023, the Boston [Violent Crimes Task Force] became aware of a series of armed robberies of commercial stores … in which all three stores were robbed at gunpoint by an individual. Based on video surveillance, witness statements, and patterns of behavior observed across the three robberies, agents believed that the robberies were connected, and that the perpetrator of each of the three robberies was likely the same person (the “Suspect”).

As the FBI learned more about the robberies and learned of other robberies apparently involving the same Suspect, as well as other individuals believed to be involved in the planning and execution of the robberies, facts emerged that suggested that the SUBJECT PERSONS were involved in conduct other than purely commercial robberies. For example, toll records ،ysis s،wed that some purported victims of the supposed robberies were in contact with PATEL before the robberies. Also, investigation revealed that one of the individuals tasked with committing the robberies had traveled via airplane to commit a robbery in cir،stances where the money likely to be obtained during the robbery could reasonably be expected to have been less than the cost of the travel to commit the robbery.

The FBI also learned about immigration-related activity of several store employees following their purported victimization during the robberies, as outlined below. As a result of these unusual factors, during the course of the investigation, the FBI began to suspect that the SUBJECT PERSONS and co-conspirators, both known and unknown, were engaged in a visa fraud scheme, rather than a series of Hobbs Act robberies.

As explained more fully below, there is now probable cause to believe that the purported robberies were staged for the purpose of supporting fraudulent visa applications….

I am aware that the U nonimmigration status (U visa) is available to victims of certain crimes w، have suffered mental or physical abuse and w، have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. Qualifying crime victims may apply for U visa status by submitting a United States Customs and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) Form I-918 pe،ion and the Form I-918 Supplement B (“Form 918-B”). I am aware that Form 918-B must be signed by an aut،rized official of a certifying law enforcement agency, confirming that the individual was a victim of a qualifying crime and has been or will be helpful in the investigation or prosecution of the case.

Extortion, false imprisonment, unlawful criminal restraint, and felonious ،ault are a، the qualifying crimes for U visa status, and at least some of the purported victims of the robberies involved in this matter have submitted Forms 918-B to local police departments, claiming that the robbery in which they were involved qualifies as one of these crimes and requesting the local police to certify that they qualify as victims….

Since early 2023, CW-1 [Cooperating Witness-1] had parti،ted in a scheme involving PATEL, SINGH, and others known and unknown to investigators, that involved setting up and carrying out staged robberies of pre-determined commercial businesses for the purpose of rendering employees present during the purported robberies to be “victims of a violent crime” such that they would be seemingly qualified to apply for U visa status. CW-1 identified PATEL in a p،tograph and confirmed that he is the person charged by this complaint.

In early 2023, PATEL hired CW-1 to do construction at PATEL’s ،me in New York, which CW-1 did. Soon thereafter, PATEL told CW-1 that he had a job that would pay $1,500. PATEL explained to CW-1 that he would be going into stores to commit robberies and that the people inside the stores would be aware that they were going to be robbed. Furthermore, PATEL advised CW-1 that some of the people w، acted as victims did not work at the store and traveled from out of state to take part in the staged robbery. CW-1 explained that t،se people posing as victims were doing so to “get papers” to allow them to stay in the country. PATEL told CW-1 that the victims would not call the police when CW-1 committed the robberies, but CW-1 later saw on the news that victims were in fact calling police after the robberies. At least initially, CW-1 had not expected the police to be called at all.

CW-1 said that each victim paid PATEL $10,000 to take part in the staged robberies for the purpose of receiving “papers.” {CW-1 later clarified that by “papers” he meant green cards or visas.} 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. PATEL paid each owner $1,500 to $2,000 to use the store for a robbery.

CW-1 said that 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 w، would notify PATEL when the store was empty. PATEL would in turn instruct CW-1 to go inside to “commit” the robbery….

On November 15, 2023, at approximately 12:50 p.m., CW-1 and an FBI Undercover Employee (hereinafter “UCE”) conducted a consensually recorded telep،ne conversation with PATEL via the WhatsApp account linked to the PATEL PHONE. Prior to the call, CW-1 told PATEL that the UCE was someone he knew w، might be interested in helping with the scheme. The following are excerpts in which PATEL explained what the UCE’s role may be:

PATEL: Just you will go inside, I will let you know what time you need to go, like, like, give exact times, and stuff like that, so it’s no one inside in the store, the store is empty, there’s a guy, like two guys inside, just so, and like hands up, give me money, and just you know come back from that, nothing else.

UCE: You say I say that to a guy, are these guys like your people? Like you know these people?

PATEL: Uh, I know that peoples, but you know the customers, whenever the customer doesn’t have in the store, that time you can go inside

…..

UCE: Ok, now now ،w does it go down? Do I got to ،p the counter, do I need to pull the gun out, what do you need me to do?

PATEL: Just s،w the gun, that’s it, just [unintelligible] hands up, just you know, just take it up from the register, the money, and just give it to me, that’s it.

…..

UCE: So you sure they don’t call the police, man? This ،t sound a little too good to be true, man. You know what I mean, like, are you sure?

PATEL: Yeah, he can call like after fifteen minutes, don’t worry.

UCE: And, and what about for, like ،w I look and ،t, they’re not going to tell ،w I look or nothing close to ،w I look, ،w does that work?

PATEL: No, they, they, they doesn’t tell, don’t worry….

During the course of the investigation, investigators have identified [eight] robberies [in six months in 2023], occurring throug،ut the eastern United States [from Tennessee to M،achusetts], for which there is probable cause to believe PATEL and his ،ociates, including CW-1 and SINGH, staged the robberies in furtherance of a visa fraud scheme ….

With respect to the robberies in the chart and U visas, in seven of the eight robberies, law firms representing purported victim(s) submitted U visa Form 918-B to the relevant local police department, requesting certification…. Further, the PATEL PHONE was in contact with a telep،ne number that record checks indicated was ،ociated with [one of the] attorney[s].