Federal authorities have brought charges against two suspects involved in a series of armed robberies at mini marts and liquor stores in four states. The FBI has uncovered evidence of an elaborate visa-fraud scheme, where the robberies were staged in exchange for immigration papers. Rambhai Patel and Balwinder Singh have been charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud and could face up to five years in prison if convicted. Surveillance footage, phone records, and interviews with a cooperating witness led the FBI to conclude that the purported victims paid $10,000 to be robbed in exchange for immigration papers, and store owners received between $1,500 to $2,000 for providing venues for the fake crimes.

The investigation also revealed that Patel played a key role in organizing the staged robberies by communicating with store owners and purported victims, while Singh served as a driver. These crimes have highlighted vulnerabilities in the federal U visa program, which aims to help immigrants who are victims of certain crimes on a path to citizenship by granting them visas. The U visa program faces a backlog of 270,000 applications due to government restrictions. Critics have raised concerns about potential fraud and abuse within the program. The Department of Homeland Security's inspector general has also stated that the program is "not managed effectively and is susceptible to fraud."

Charges related to the eight armed robberies were filed at the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and the two suspects were arrested in connection to the crimes. The FBI uncovered evidence that suggested the robberies were not purely commercial and were connected to immigration-related activities of several store employees following their purported victimization. Additionally, after all but one of the robberies, law firms representing purported victims applied for U visas.

The FBI investigation also revealed that a cooperating witness was able to introduce an undercover agent to Patel, who was willing to facilitate a fake robbery. Recorded conversations between Patel and the undercover agent provided further evidence of the planned staged robberies. The agency administering the U visa program, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, has indicated that it cannot identify the extent of fraud within the program. However, this case has underscored the need for tighter controls and more effective management of the U visa program to prevent future abuse and fraud.