A federal judge in the Western District of Louisiana has sentenced Chandrakant "Lala" Patel, 40, of Oakdale, to 10 years in prison for running a scheme that used fictitious police reports to support fraudulent U visa applications, KALB and Acadiana News First reported on 10 November.

Patel pleaded guilty on 28 May to conspiracy to commit visa fraud and to engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity. U.S. District Judge Jerry Edwards Jr. imposed the sentence on 9 November. Patel is to be removed from the United States after serving it.

How the scheme worked

According to the reports, between about November 2020 and July 2025 Patel recruited foreign nationals who wanted legal immigration status and took payments to have them listed as victims in armed robbery reports that were invented. The U visa is available to victims of certain crimes who help law enforcement, so a certified police report is a key supporting document.

Patel paid four local law enforcement officials to prepare the false reports and certify immigration documents. They included three former police chiefs, from Glenmora, Oakdale and Forest Hill, and an official of the Ward 5 Marshal's Office. All four pleaded guilty and have each been sentenced to five years in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release; three were also fined $30,000. The conspirators sent the fraudulent documents through the U.S. mail and other carriers.

Why it matters

The case is a reminder that immigration document fraud is not limited to forged degrees or bank statements. Here the documents were issued on genuine letterhead by serving officials, which made them harder to spot. Applicants who paid for the false reports risk losing their applications and facing removal.

Guidance for applicants

Anyone approached with an offer to buy a police report, a crime-victim certification or any other official record to support a visa application should refuse and report it. Legitimate certifications are issued only by the agency that investigated a real crime, and no genuine process requires a payment to an intermediary.

Sources

This News Desk report summarises information published by the sources above, written in our own words. Persons named in criminal matters are accused, not convicted, unless a court has ruled otherwise. To report an error, use our contact page.

United StatesU visaVisa fraudForged documentsLouisiana

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