Two men have been arrested for allegedly staging armed robberies at convenience stores and fast food restaurants so the "victims" could apply for a special visa for victims of criminal activity, federal prosecutors in Boston announced Friday.
The pair of men, from New York City, are accused of staging armed robberies at at least four places in Massachusetts and at least four more nationwide, prosecutors said. Both were arrested Dec. 13 on a charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud — Rambhai Patel, 36, in Seattle and Balwinder Singh, 39, in Queens.
The alleged scheme let clerks present for the fake robberies apply for what's known as a U visa, which lets people who've been mentally or physically abused and help prosecute criminals stay in the United States for four years.
In the staged robberies, prosecutors said, the pretend robber would show what appeared to be a weapon, then take money from the register and flee. The store's clerk and/or the owner — both were allegedly involved in the schemes, with the victims paying Patel and Patel paying the store owners — would wait at least five minutes to call police and report the robbery.
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Prosecutors didn't share information on specific reported robberies that they allege were faked, or say if others are being charged with participating.
It wasn't immediately clear if Patel or Singh had attorneys who could speak to their charges, which carry a sentence of up to five years in prison for a conviction.
