Federal prosecutors in Louisiana have announced a 62-count indictment against five people, including four law enforcement officers. At a news conference on Wednesday in Lafayette, acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, Alexander C. Van Hook, said police officials in Rapides and Allen Parishes in Central Louisiana committed fraud involving U-Visas beginning on or about December 26, 2015, and continuing until at least July 15, 2025. U-Visas are given to foreign nationals who were either a victim of or witnesses to a crime, so they can remain in the country until the crime is prosecuted.
As Louisiana Public Radio reports, Van Hook explained, “Each report listed several victims of reported armed robberies in Central Louisiana and the defendants produced false police reports so that the reported victims of the robberies could apply for new visas.”
The suspects include Oakdale Police Chief Chad Boyle, Michael Slaney, Marshal of the Ward 5 Marshal’s Office in Oakdale, Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon, and former Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea.
The indictment alleges that fellow suspect and businessman Chandrakant “Lala” Patel faces a charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud and bribery by allegedly paying officers $5,000 for each foreign national placed on the report. Prosecutors say it was all an effort to keep them and their family members in the United States, and that there were hundreds of payments.
Charges against the law enforcement officers also include not only visa fraud, but also one count each of conspiracy to commit visa fraud, mail fraud, and also money laundering charges against all but one suspect, Onishea.
According to a release provided by prosecutors, if convicted, the defendants each face a sentence of up to 5 years in prison on the conspiracy charge; up to 10 years on the visa fraud charges; up to 20 years on the mail fraud charge; and Patel faces up to 10 years on the bribery charge. In addition, they could be ordered to pay a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.
The indict states that Patel was a resident of Oakdale, and owner of G&G Superette, a convenient store in Glenmore, Louisiana and EZ Shop, a convenient store in Oakdale. The legal document explained that Patel also operated a fast-food restaurant franchise in Oakdale. Patel was granted a U-Visa in 2023, based on his alleged status as a victim of armed robbery.
