Federal prosecutors just dropped a 62-count indictment on five men in central Louisiana. Three are current or former police chiefs. One is a city marshal. The fifth is a businessman named Chandrakant Patel. The charges include conspiracy, visa fraud, mail fraud, bribery, and money laundering. The case centers on the U-Visa program, which is supposed to help crime victims stay in the U.S. if they cooperate with law enforcement. These men allegedly turned it into a cash-for-paper pipeline.
The scheme ran from December 2015 through July 2025. Patel acted as the broker. Immigrants paid him thousands to be listed as victims in fabricated armed robbery reports. He then paid law enforcement officials $5,000 per name to sign off on the paperwork. The reports were fake. The crimes never happened. The victims weren’t victims. Hundreds of false reports were filed across multiple parishes. The fraud was so widespread that federal agents flagged an “unusual concentration” of armed robberies involving non-Louisiana residents. That tipped off the investigation.
The officers charged are Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle, Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon, former Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea, and Oakdale City Marshal Michael Slaney. Patel faces the most counts: 1 bribery, 24 mail fraud, 8 money laundering. The others face 6 counts each of visa fraud and mail fraud, plus additional laundering charges. All were arrested on July 15. Patel remains in custody. The rest were released pending trial.
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What are the odds ICE is investigating in MN for similar?https://t.co/V8eTXVLWVs https://t.co/I1k0NfgXE2 pic.twitter.com/GeKP6Kr8mn
— Sean Nienow (@SNienow) July 16, 2025
BREAKING🚨: federal law enforcement unseals indictment in investigation leading to arrests of 3 Louisiana police chiefs, others
U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook alleges a federal reimbursement scheme involving visa fraud for foreign nationals@WAFB #ICE #fbi #trump #immigration pic.twitter.com/qH4W6xpB61
— Liam Combs (@LiamCombs3) July 16, 2025
🚨 BREAKING: Four Louisiana police chiefs arrested today in a federal sting operation. Oakdale’s Chad Doyle, Forest Hill’s Glynn Dixon, Ville Platte’s A. Perry Thomas, and Pollock’s Anthony “Tony” Gray were detained by FBI, ICE, IRS, and Homeland Security at a Baton Rouge…
— Glenn Bellard (@glenn_jammin10) July 16, 2025
FBI, ICE make arrests in raids across Louisiana
😮 pic.twitter.com/JXBtljjopc— Janedoe17 (@Janedoe17plus) July 15, 2025
The U-Visa program requires a signed certification from law enforcement confirming the applicant was a victim of a qualifying crime. These men allegedly forged those certifications. From September 2023 to December 2024, they submitted dozens of I-918B forms knowing the applicants were never involved in any crime. Patel even tried to bribe a Rapides Parish deputy in February with another $5,000 to keep the scheme going.
The investigation was triggered by a tip from Citizenship and Immigration Services last summer. Homeland Security, the FBI, IRS, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office ran the case. Search warrants were executed at multiple locations, including Oakdale PD and a Subway sandwich shop owned by Patel. Federal agents have already moved to seize property, bank accounts, and vehicles tied to the fraud.
If convicted, each defendant faces up to 5 years for conspiracy, 10 years for visa fraud, 20 years for mail fraud, and Patel an additional 10 years for bribery. Fines could reach $250,000 per count.
This isn’t about paperwork. It’s about federal immigration policy being weaponized for profit. The U-Visa program was designed to protect victims. These men allegedly used it to sell access to legal status. The DOJ says the investigation is ongoing.
Sources:
https://thehill.com/homenews/5404069-louisiana-law-enforcement-officers-charged-visa-fraud/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/louisiana-police-chiefs-federally-charged-rcna219144
