Indian-origin man faces prison over staged robbery in U visa fraud scheme

Bay Area Editor
Last Updated on Sep 29, 2026

Image Courtesy: DOj logo via fgdc.gov

An Indian-origin man from Columbia faces up to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy to obtain a U visa for an Indian national through a staged convenience store robbery, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Birenkumar Rameshbhai Patel, 47, also known as Mike Patel, posed as a robber at a Fairfield County store on March 9, 2025. The clerk reported the incident to police and was taken to a hospital. Investigators later determined from surveillance footage that the robbery had been staged to make the clerk appear to be a crime victim.

Patel and the clerk subsequently sought a police report, and a federal certification form was mailed to the sheriff’s department asking it to identify the clerk as a victim of felonious assault. U visas are available to qualifying crime victims who assist authorities and can provide a path to permanent residence.

A federal judge accepted Patel’s plea but has not sentenced him. He also faces a possible fine of up to $250,000. Prosecutors said the clerk has been deported to India.

Recent Posts