CHANDRAKANT "LALA" PATEL (courtesy of Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office)
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announces a 62-count indictment against five people, including four law enforcement officers, in connection with a visa fraud scheme. Alex Van Hook, the acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, told a news conference this morning that the five are charged with fraudulently obtaining non-immigrant U-visas.
“The non-immigrant U-visa is a visa that was authorized by Congress to allow foreign nationals without any official status in the United States to remain in the country under certain circumstances when they’re victims of a crime or witnesses to crime,” Van Hook said.
Van Hook says the five indicted are: Oakdale Police Chief Chad Boyle; Michael “Freck” Slaney, the marshal of the Ward 5 Marshal’s Office in Oakdale; Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon, Former Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea, and businessman Chandrakant “Lala” Patel.
“The indictment alleges that Petel, Doyle, Slaney, Dixon, and Onishea, and others produced and authenticated false police reports in several central Louisiana parishes,” Van Hook said.
Van Hook says the people listed on the fraudulent U-Visa applications were never victims of or witnesses to crime, which are requirements in order to obtain a U-Visa.
“These people would pay Mr. Patel, who would turn pay Doyle, Slaney, Dixon and Onishea to create false police reports so that fraudulent visa applications could be submitted to the United States government,” Van Hook explained.
The indictment says Patel paid the officers $5,000 for each foreign national placed on the report, in an effort to keep them and their family members in the United States.
Statement from Attorney General Liz Murrill after Louisiana officials charged in immigration fraud and money laundering scheme:
“My office was working with our federal partners prior to the federal arrests. We are now reviewing the evidence and expect additional state charges will follow. Public officials – especially those in law enforcement – who conspire to commit fraud and obstruct justice violate the public trust and undermine faith in justice. They will be held accountable.”
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