LAFAYETTE, La. — Five Louisiana men, including four active and former law enforcement officers, were indicted Wednesday on charges of bribery, conspiracy to commit visa fraud, and mail fraud, following a federal investigation initiated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS fraud detection officers uncovered a pattern of inconsistencies among U visa applications, spurring a multi-agency federal investigation.
The 62-count indictment describes the defendants’ and others’ more than nine-and-a-half-year alleged scheme to author, facilitate, produce and authenticate false police reports of purported armed robberies in the central Louisiana area. The indictment alleges the defendants produced false police reports so that the aliens who were supposedly victims of the robberies could apply for U visas.
The defendants include:
- Chandrakant Patel, a/k/a “Lala,” of Oakdale
- Chad Doyle, chief of police for the City of Oakdale
- Michael Slaney, a/k/a “Freck,” marshal of the Ward 5 Marshal’s Office in Oakdale
- Glynn Dixon, chief of police for the City of Forest Hill
- Tebo Onishea, former chief of police for the City of Glenmora
Patel, Doyle, Slaney, Dixon, and Onishea conspired together to commit visa fraud, namely a nonimmigrant U visa, which defendants knew to be procured by means of false claims and statements and otherwise procured by fraud and unlawfully obtained by the defendants.
If convicted, the defendants each face a sentence of up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge; up to 10 years on the visa fraud charges; and up to 20 years on the mail fraud charge. Patel faces up to 10 years on the bribery charge. In addition, they could be ordered to pay a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.
The indictment alleges that as part of this conspiracy to defraud the government, aliens seeking U visas would contact Patel, or another facilitator who would then contact Patel, to be named as “victims” in police reports alleging that an armed robbery had occurred, so that they could apply for U visas. The indictment also alleges that aliens paid Patel thousands of dollars to participate, and in exchange, Patel would ask his co-conspirators, including Doyle, Slaney, Dixon, and Onishea, to write false police reports naming the aliens as victims of alleged armed robberies and provide certification and attestation of USCIS Form I-918B supporting documents as representatives of their respective law enforcement agencies.
The indictment also alleges that Patel corruptly gave, offered, and agreed to pay an agent of the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office the sum of $5,000 on Feb. 18, 2025, intending to influence and reward that agent in exchange for a fraudulent police report from the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office.
U nonimmigrant status is intended to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute crime while also protecting victims of crimes who are willing to help law enforcement authorities in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. Aliens are eligible for a U visa if they meet certain criteria.
This case is being investigated and prosecuted by a Homeland Security Task Force as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security.
Protecting the integrity of the immigration process is a priority for USCIS. To report suspected immigration benefit fraud or abuse to USCIS, please use the USCIS Tip Form.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit USCIS.gov or follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.
