A suburban Chicago man who organized hundreds of fake armed robberies to help people fraudulently obtain U.S. immigration visas has been sentenced to two years in federal prison. But one of the staged holdups took a horrible turn at a Bucktown liquor store when a purported robber accidentally shot a store clerk in the abdomen, critically injuring him, according to police reports.
Parth Nayi, 29, of Woodridge, organized and participated in the robberies from 2022 through 2024 at coffee shops, restaurants, liquor stores, and gas stations across the country, including in Chicago and its suburbs, federal prosecutors said.
Nayi recruited people to pose as robbery victims, paid store owners to use their businesses, coordinated and paid the people acting as robbers, and coached the purported victims through the scheme. Participants paid him between $5,000 and $30,000 each for the privilege of being “robbed,” hoping to obtain U-visas, which are available to eligible victims of certain crimes who assist law enforcement. Upon making payment, the “victims” were told to be at a certain business at a certain date and time, officials said. The “robbery crew” arrived shortly thereafter.
The purported victims then sought certification from local law enforcement agencies confirming that they had been victims of qualifying crimes and had helped with investigations. After obtaining the certifications, the purported victims submitted fraudulent U-visa applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, prosecutors said.
Federal prosecutors said the “robbers” occasionally hit their victims, hoping to give the robberies an air of legitimacy. But things took a serious turn on July 13, 2023. That’s when one of the “robbery crews” entered Bucktown Food & Liquor, 1950 North Milwaukee, for a scheduled performance. Around 9:23 p.m., three “robbers,” all masked and each armed with a handgun, entered the store and ordered five people inside to surrender their wallets, police said at the time.
As the phony robbery unfolded, one of the crew members unintentionally fired their gun, striking a 26-year-old store employee in the abdomen. He was critically injured, but he survived. The “robbers” ran out and jumped into a Kia that had been reported stolen from the 2600 block of West Haddon in Humboldt Park earlier in the day.
After the robberies, the “victims” went to their local police departments to secure documentation that they were the victims of a crime that qualified them to apply for a “U-visa.” That’s an immigration status reserved for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in an investigation or prosecution. Some relatives of U-visa recipients also qualify for special status and, in time, U-visa recipients may qualify for permanent residency.
Officials identified more than 100 people who “benefited” from being robbed, with most being of Latin and South American origin. A federal complaint identified 17 specific “robberies” for charging purposes:
- October 6, 2022, at Fas Fuel in Lombard
- December 6, 2022, at a Subway restaurant in Chicago
- December 17, 2022, at a Subway restaurant in Elmwood Park
- December 30, 2022, at Tropical Smoothie in St. Charles
- January 10, 2023, at a Dunkin’ in Chicago. Bhikhabhai Patel was “robbed” here, officials said.
- January 11, 2023, at a BP in Hickory Hills
- January 12, 2023, at a Dunkin’ in Niles. Nilesh Patel and Ravinaben Patel were “robbed” here.
- January 25, 2023, at Max’s Food and Liquor in River Grove
- January 26, 2023, at Lake Villa Liquors in Lake Villa
- February 8, 2023, at a Dunkin’ in South Holland. Rajnikumar Patel was allegedly “robbed” here
- February 23, 2023, at a Dunkin’ in Chicago
- February 28, 2023, at a Dunkin’ in Chicago
- May 13, 2023, at a Subway in Rayne, Louisiana
- May 30, 2023, at Trolley Rock Truck Stop in Belvidere, Tennessee
- July 13, 2023, at Bucktown Food & Liquor in Chicago
- January 9, 2024, at a 7-Eleven in Chicago
Nayi pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to commit visa fraud. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland sentenced him to two years in federal prison and fined him $50,000. Five other people have also been convicted as part of the federal investigation.
