Bucktown Clerk Was Shot During Staged Robbery Tied to Nationwide Immigration Fraud Scheme

A suburban Chicago man who organized hundreds of fake armed robberies to help people fraudulently obtain U.S. immigration visas has been sentenced to two years in federal prison. But one of the staged holdups took a horrible turn at a Bucktown liquor store when a purported robber accidentally shot a store clerk in the abdomen, critically injuring him, according to police reports.

Parth Nayi, 29, of Woodridge, organized and participated in the robberies from 2022 through 2024 at coffee shops, restaurants, liquor stores, and gas stations across the country, including in Chicago and its suburbs, federal prosecutors said.

Nayi recruited people to pose as robbery victims, paid store owners to use their businesses, coordinated and paid the people acting as robbers, and coached the purported victims through the scheme. Participants paid him between $5,000 and $30,000 each for the privilege of being “robbed,” hoping to obtain U-visas, which are available to eligible victims of certain crimes who assist law enforcement. Upon making payment, the “victims” were told to be at a certain business at a certain date and time, officials said. The “robbery crew” arrived shortly thereafter.

The purported victims then sought certification from local law enforcement agencies confirming that they had been victims of qualifying crimes and had helped with investigations. After obtaining the certifications, the purported victims submitted fraudulent U-visa applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, prosecutors said.

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After the robberies, the “victims” went to their local police departments to secure documentation that they were the victims of a crime that qualified them to apply for a “U-visa.” That’s an immigration status reserved for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in an investigation or prosecution. Some relatives of U-visa recipients also qualify for special status and, in time, U-visa recipients may qualify for permanent residency.

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