Ringleader of Oakdale, Louisiana Visa Fraud Scheme Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison; Four Co-Defendants Get Five Years Each
The Department of Justice announced on November 9 that Chandrakant "Lala" Patel, 40, of Oakdale, Louisiana, the ringleader of a visa fraud scheme, has been sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Jerry Edwards Jr. imposed the sentence in the Western District of Louisiana, in case No. 1:25-cr-00173, on charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity.
The four co-defendants, all local law-enforcement leaders, were sentenced separately. Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea, 39, received 60 months on September 2. Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle, 56, received 60 months and a $30,000 fine on September 15. Michael Slaney, 65, the Ward 5 Marshal in Oakdale, received 60 months and a $30,000 fine on September 16. Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon, 63, received 60 months and a $30,000 fine on November 9. According to court documents, from November 2020 to July 2025 Patel recruited foreign nationals seeking legal status and charged them to be falsely identified as victims in fictitious armed robbery reports, while the four officers prepared false police reports and certified immigration documents supporting fraudulent U visa applications.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana announced the sentences. Patel pleaded guilty on May 28, 2026, and will be removed from the United States after completing his sentence. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation and the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Division (FDNS) as part of the Homeland Security Task Force under Operation Take Back America.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John W. Nickel and Danny Siefker prosecuted the case. (Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 美国司法部总部大楼（资料图），美国司法部，公共领域
