Chicago Man Sentenced for Orchestrating Hundreds of Staged Robberies to Exploit U-Visa Program

A federal judge in Chicago sentenced 29-year-old Parth Nayi of Woodridge to two years in prison and a $50,000 fine on October 22, 2026, for his role as the central organizer in a conspiracy that staged hundreds of armed robberies across multiple states. The scheme enabled thousands of foreign nationals to fraudulently apply for U nonimmigrant visas, which are reserved for victims of qualifying crimes who assist law enforcement. Nayi pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, Nayi recruited fake victims who paid between $5,000 and $30,000 each, paid store owners for access to their businesses, hired and coordinated fake robbers, and coached participants on filing police reports and submitting U-visa applications with false certifications. The operation spanned 2022 to 2024 and included locations in Chicago suburbs such as Lombard, Lake Villa, and others, as well as sites in Louisiana and Tennessee. One staged robbery at Bucktown Food & Liquor on July 13, 2023, turned deadly when a robber’s gun accidentally discharged, critically injuring a 26-year-old clerk. This incident helped unravel the scheme. Prosecutors noted Nayi generated at least $2 million and significantly corrupted a program meant to protect vulnerable crime victims. Co-defendants including Kewon Young and members of the Patel family faced related charges, with some receiving probation or time served and one convicted in absentia. The case highlights systemic vulnerabilities in the U-visa process, including backlogs exceeding 400,000 petitions and documented gaps in fraud tracking by USCIS, raising ethical questions about resource allocation, deterrence, and the unintended consequences of well-intentioned immigration protections when exploited through social engineering.