Eleven Indian nationals have been charged in the United States for allegedly participating in a scheme that staged fake armed robberies in order to obtain immigration benefits reserved for victims of crime.
Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts said the group organised a series of planned robberies at convenience stores and similar businesses. The incidents were allegedly designed to make store employees appear as victims of violent crime so they could apply for the U-visa programme, which provides legal status to non-citizens who help authorities investigate or prosecute serious offences.
Investigators say the robberies were carefully planned to appear real. In several cases, a person posing as an armed robber reportedly entered a store, threatened the clerk and took money from the cash register before leaving. The employees then contacted police and reported the incident as a genuine robbery.
Authorities believe the suspects used surveillance footage, police reports and witness statements from these staged incidents as evidence while applying for U-visas. The programme is intended to protect immigrants who are victims of crimes such as assault, trafficking or robbery and who assist law enforcement during investigations.
According to prosecutors, the fraudulent activities began around March 2023 and involved multiple stores in Massachusetts. Officials said some participants allegedly paid organisers to arrange the staged robberies so they could qualify for the visa programme. In some cases, store owners were also suspected of cooperating with the plan by allowing their businesses to be used for the fake crimes.
The accused individuals were reportedly living in several US states, including Massachusetts, Kentucky and Ohio. Authorities said the investigation uncovered a network of people working together to organise the incidents and prepare the immigration applications.
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