NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Lafayette, LA, July 18, 2025: An Indian American businessman and several Louisiana law enforcement officials have been indicted in a sweeping federal investigation into a scheme that allegedly used fabricated armed robbery reports to help individuals fraudulently obtain special visas reserved for crime victims.
Chandrakant “Lala” Patel, a naturalized U.S. citizen and businessman based in Louisiana, is accused of paying bribes to multiple police departments in small towns across central Louisiana—including Oakdale, Forest Hill, and Glenmora—to create false police reports. These reports claimed that various individuals, most of whom shared the Patel surname, had been victims of armed robberies. In reality, officials say, the crimes never occurred.
Federal prosecutors allege the fake reports were part of a long-running conspiracy to fraudulently secure U-visas, a special immigration benefit granted to noncitizens who are victims of certain crimes and who cooperate with law enforcement.
A federal grand jury in Lafayette returned a 62-count indictment charging Patel and four law enforcement officials—Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle, Oakdale Ward 5 Marshal Michael “Freck” Slaney, former Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon, and former Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea—with conspiracy, visa fraud, mail fraud, bribery, and money laundering.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook, the alleged scheme dates back to 2015 and continued into 2025. Prosecutors say Patel paid up to $5,000 per case to law enforcement officers in exchange for fraudulent police reports and certifications falsely indicating that visa applicants were crime victims who had aided investigations.
The indictment also includes allegations that a deputy with the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office received a bribe earlier this year to generate a fraudulent report, suggesting the scheme continued even after Patel himself had successfully obtained a U-visa in 2023.
Officials estimate that hundreds of fraudulent visa applications may have been filed as a result of the scheme, although no charges have yet been announced against the recipients of the visas. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) initiated the investigation after detecting a pattern of suspicious applications.
“The U-visa program was created to protect victims of violent crimes, not to be exploited through corruption and deceit,” said Van Hook. “This indictment targets a sophisticated and troubling abuse of public trust.”
In addition to federal charges, Oakdale Chief Doyle’s wife, Allison Doyle, faces unrelated state charges in an ongoing corruption probe, though her case is not directly connected to the U-visa scheme.
If convicted, the defendants face serious penalties: up to 20 years in prison for mail fraud, 10 years for visa fraud and bribery, and fines up to $250,000 per count. Prosecutors are also seeking the forfeiture of property and assets tied to the alleged crimes.
Attorneys for the defendants have not publicly responded to the charges. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Federal authorities emphasized that the case involves the actions of a few individuals and does not reflect on the broader integrity of law enforcement in Louisiana.
The investigation is ongoing. USCIS and federal prosecutors are reviewing visa applications submitted through the towns implicated in the scheme.
