2 sentenced for conspiracy to smuggle people into US

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Two men from India have been sentenced in federal court in New Jersey to prison time for their roles in a conspiracy to smuggle people into the United States.

Authorities say 42-year-old Nileshkumar Patel and 67-year-old Harsad Mehta were each sentenced on Tuesday in Newark to 17 months in prison. They both had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle foreign nationals into the U.S. for commercial advantage and private financial gain.

The men admitted that from June 2013 through October 2015, they conspired to make money by recruiting Indian nationals to enter and reside in the U.S illegally. They also admitted that they paid someone, who was actually an undercover officer, to smuggle two Indian nationals from Bangkok, Thailand, into Newark.