Louisiana police chiefs charged in immigrant visa fraud scheme : NPR

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Gerald Herbert/AP Federal prosecutors have indicted 5 individuals in Louisiana, together with three present and former police chiefs, in an alleged scheme to file bogus police reviews that enabled immigrants to use for particular visas in alternate for hundreds of {dollars}.

In accordance with the 62-count indictment, the defendants falsified police reviews, which listed immigrants as victims of fabricated crimes so they might apply for U-visas.

The U nonimmigrant standing, or U-visa, permits individuals who have been the victims of crimes to acquire short-term authorized standing within the U.S. The visa is "put aside for victims of sure crimes who've suffered psychological or bodily abuse and are useful to regulation enforcement or authorities officers within the investigation or prosecution of legal exercise."

All 5 defendants have been charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud and mail fraud. Some additionally face fees of cash laundering, visa fraud and bribery, in response to courtroom paperwork.

Within the indictment, federal prosecutors allege that between December 2015 and earlier this week the defendants conspired with one another to authenticate "false police reviews in a number of central Louisiana parishes."

The reviews, the indictment states, "listed a number of victims of purported armed robberies within the central Louisiana space." The bogus reviews have been produced "in order that the purported victims of the robberies may apply for U-Visas."

One of many defendants, a Louisiana businessman, labored as an middleman between immigrants in search of U-Visas and his 4 regulation enforcement companions within the scheme, in response to the indictment.

For every purported sufferer named on these police reviews, prosecutors allege the businessman would pay his accused co-conspirators $5,000.

The businessman attained a U-Visa himself in 2023 "primarily based on his alleged standing as a sufferer of armed theft," in response to the indictment.

If convicted, the defendants face years or many years in jail, in addition to substantial fines.

Louisiana Lawyer Normal Liz Murrill stated extra state fees have been probably.

"We are actually reviewing the proof and count on extra state fees will observe," she wrote in an announcement on Fb.

"Public officers - particularly these in regulation enforcement - who conspire to commit fraud and hinder justice violate the general public belief and undermine religion in justice. They are going to be held accountable."