Indian-origin Biren Kumar Rameshbhai Patel admits involvement in ‘U Visa’ fraud

COLUMBIA:- Birenkumar Rameshbhai Patel, an individual of Indian origin based in South Carolina, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to obtain a ‘U Visa’ for an Indian national by staging a fake robbery at a store.

Birenkumar Rameshbhai Patel (also known as “Mike Patel”) admitted to his involvement in the conspiracy in a South Carolina federal court, where U.S. District Judge Joseph A. Anderson Jr. accepted his guilty plea.

According to federal court records, 47-year-old Patel and a store employee orchestrated a staged robbery at a shop in Fairfield County, South Carolina, on March 9, 2025.

When officers arrived at the scene in response to a 911 call reporting the crime, they found the employee attempting to provide details about the incident before being transported to the hospital. Patel also arrived at the scene and gave his own account of the event.

After reviewing the shop’s surveillance footage, investigators determined that the robbery was a staged fraud designed to portray the employee as a victim of a crime, with Patel playing the role of the robber. Patel had covered his face in an attempt to conceal his identity.

According to the details of the incident, on March 25, 2025, Patel and the employee requested a copy of the incident report from local authorities, and on April 3, they submitted a federal certification form to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office; the form requested the sheriff’s signature acknowledging that the employee was a victim of a “serious criminal assault,” a necessary step to qualify for the visa.

During the investigation, officials discovered that the employee was an Indian national and that obtaining a ‘U Visa’ would have enabled them to reside legally in the United States.

This fraud scheme came to light through an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office.

Patel, having admitted guilt, could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and a three-year term of supervised release following his imprisonment.

Federal officials confirmed that the store employee involved in the planned robbery has since been deported to India.