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Judge orders deportation after fake robbery of Austin Liquors

  • Posted by Worcester News 6 hours ago - Filed in News - #Worcester  #crime  #Park Ave.  #Austin Liquors  - 1,408 views


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    BOSTON — A Worcester man from India has been ordered deported from the United States after being sentenced for his role in a conspiracy that staged armed robberies to help participants fraudulently seek immigration benefits, federal prosecutors said.

    Mitul Patel, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun to time served — 1 day in prison — and fined $1,000. The court also ordered his removal from the United States, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.

    Patel was among 11 people charged in March in connection with the scheme. He pleaded guilty in June.

    Federal prosecutors said the conspiracy began in March 2023, when organizer Rambhai Patel and his co-conspirators arranged staged armed robberies at at least 6 convenience stores, liquor stores and fast-food restaurants in Massachusetts and other locations.

    Authorities said the robberies were designed to allow store clerks to falsely claim they were victims of violent crimes when applying for non-immigrant status, commonly known as a U Visa. The visa is intended for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who assist law enforcement in investigating or prosecuting criminal activity.

    According to charging documents, the staged robberies involved a suspect displaying what appeared to be a gun, taking cash from the register and fleeing while store surveillance cameras recorded the incident. Prosecutors said the clerks intentionally waited at least 5 minutes before calling police, creating the appearance of a genuine robbery.

    Investigators alleged that participants paid Rambhai Patel to be included in the scheme, while he in turn paid store owners to use their businesses as locations for the fake robberies.

    Prosecutors said Mitul Patel paid Rambhai Patel so he could pose as the victim during a staged armed robbery at a Worcester store in October 2023.

    Rambhai Patel, identified by prosecutors as the organizer, along with the individual who carried out the robberies and the getaway driver, Balwinder Singh, were convicted in May 2025.

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