Five Indicted in Louisiana U-Visa Fraud Scheme

Federal authorities have indicted five individuals—including three current or former Louisiana police chiefs, a local marshal, and Oakdale businessman Chandrakant 'Lala' Patel—in a 62-count indictment alleging a decade-long visa fraud scheme from 2015 to 2025. The accused are charged with falsifying police reports for hundreds of mostly Indian immigrants, falsely claiming they were victims of armed robberies to obtain U-visas intended for crime victims. Prosecutors allege Patel paid $5,000 per fake report and police officials received bribes for their roles. Charges include conspiracy to commit visa fraud, bribery, mail fraud, and money laundering. Federal prosecutors describe the case as unprecedented in scale and a grave abuse that undermined the U-visa program's intent. Authorities have not yet decided what will happen to the immigrants who received visas through these fraudulent means.