Woodridge man sentenced for staging hundreds of fake robberies

A Woodridge man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for conspiring to stage armed robberies that allowed purported victims to seek U.S. immigration visas reserved for crime victims.

Federal prosecutors say that from 2022 to 2024, Parth Nayi, 29, organized and participated in hundreds of staged armed robberies at coffee shops, restaurants, liquor stores, and gas stations throughout the country.

Among the locations of the phony holdups, prosecutors say, were Lombard, Elmwood Park, St. Charles and Lake Villa, authorities said.

Nayi worked with others to recruit fake victims, pay off store owners to use their locations, coordinate and pay fake robbers and coach the bogus victims through the plan, according to prosecutors. Thousands fake victims each paid Nayi $5,000 to $30,000 to participate in the scam so that they could later apply for Nonimmigrant U-Visas, which are set aside for foreign nationals who are victims of certain crimes and are helpful to law enforcement in the investigation.

During the staged robberies, authorities said, the phony robbers brandished what appeared to be firearms, approached the purported victims, and demanded money.

Nayi pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to commit visa fraud. U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland sentenced him Thursday to two years in prison and fined him $50,000.

“Defendant significantly corrupted the federal U Visa program, designed to provide a benefit to a particularly vulnerable group — foreign nationals who are victims of serious crimes while visiting the United States,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Saqib Mohammad Hussain wrote in court documents.

Five out-of-state defendants have also been convicted as part of the federal investigation, authorities said.

ckeeshan@dailyherald.com