JACKSON, MS – Twelve individuals have confessed to their roles in a brazen scheme to exploit the U.S. immigration system, pleading guilty to charges of U-Visa fraud and marriage fraud in two separate federal cases. The Justice Department announced the guilty pleas today, revealing a network built on fabricated crime reports, sham marriages, and the willing participation of a law enforcement officer and a licensed attorney.
At the center of both conspiracies are Sachin Girishkumar Patel, 33, of Clinton, Mississippi; Tarunkumar Purushottambhai Patel, 49, of Kingdom City, Missouri; and Simpson Lloyd Goodman, 29, of Waynesboro, Georgia. Both Patels admitted to orchestrating a scheme to secure fraudulent U-Visas – reserved for victims of qualifying crimes – and bogus marriage visas. Goodman, abusing his position as an attorney, allegedly drafted and submitted falsified applications and documentation on behalf of ineligible clients referred to him by the Patels. This wasn’t about helping genuine victims; it was about profiting from a broken system.
The U-Visa indictment details a 16-count scheme involving fabricated Law Enforcement Certification forms. These forms, submitted to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), falsely claimed that aliens had been victims of crimes within Jackson, Mississippi. To qualify for a U-Visa, applicants must prove they were victims of a crime, suffered harm, and aided law enforcement. Federal prosecutors allege these requirements were completely ignored. Shockingly, Ivory Lee Harris, 45, of Jackson, Mississippi, a now-former officer with the Jackson Police Department, confessed to accepting cash payments to create these false police reports – a betrayal of his oath and a stain on the department.
Alongside the Patels, Goodman, and Harris, the following individuals also entered guilty pleas in the U-Visa fraud case: Sanjay Rathilal Patel, 35, of Lakewood, New Jersey; Maheshkumar Mangaldas Patel, 50, of Houston, Texas; and Rajan Nareshkumar Patel, 31, currently incarcerated in Adams County, Mississippi. Four other individuals implicated in the U-Visa scheme are scheduled for trial in January. The sheer number of participants underscores the scale and audacity of the operation.
The marriage fraud indictment paints an equally disturbing picture. Aliens allegedly entered into sham marriages with U.S. citizens solely to obtain immigration status. These weren’t unions of love, but cold, calculated transactions. U.S. citizens were reportedly paid to participate in the fraud. Pleading guilty to their roles in this conspiracy were Chirag Nilesh Patel, 27, of St. Louis, Missouri; Dana Cheetara Adams, 29, of Plano, Texas; Brandy Nicole Edwards, 34, of Crystal Springs, Mississippi; Virendra Rambachan Rajput, 45, of Lawrence, Massachusetts; and Javona Shanice Rajput, 27, of Jackson, Mississippi.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, in conjunction with ICE Homeland Security Investigations, promises further details as the cases progress. The investigation highlights the vulnerability of the immigration system to exploitation and the lengths to which criminals will go to profit from it. The Grimy Times will continue to track this case and report on any sentencing announcements. This is a stark reminder that even those sworn to uphold the law can be corrupted, and the consequences ripple far beyond the courtroom.
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Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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