On July 13, 2023, a "robbery crew" entered the Bucktown Food & Liquor in Chicago and robbed five people of their wallets. One robber accidentally opened fire and began the unraveling of a massive immigration fraud scheme.

The "fake" robbery was one of hundreds at restaurants, liquor stores, gas stations, and coffee shops orchestrated by 29-year-old Parth Nayi of Woodridge, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.

Officials were able to identify more than 100 people, most of Latin and South American origin, who had obtained the fake robbery service from Nayi.

The DOJ said that Nayi was paid between $5,000 and $30,000 for each fake robbery by migrants hoping to fraudulently obtain a U visa, which is available to those who are victims of certain crimes and participate with law enforcement.

He would hire the fake robbers and coach the fake victims on how to report the incidents to police and then apply for the visa in order to obtain legal status, according to the press release. Recipients of the U visa could obtain special status and, in time, even permanent resident status.

Officials were able to identify more than 100 people, most of Latin and South American origin, who had obtained the fake robbery service from Nayi, according to CWB Chicago. However, the DOJ believes that "thousands of individuals who posed as victims" were involved in the scheme.

In the July 2023 robbery, one of the fake robbers shot a 26-year-old clerk in the abdomen. He survived his injuries, CWB Chicago reported.

Five others besides Nayi were convicted in connection with the investigation.

Nayi pleaded guilty to only one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud.

Despite perhaps being involved in hundreds of immigration fraud incidents, on Thursday, Nayi was sentenced to only two years in federal prison and a fine of $50,000.

RELATED: 'Staged armed robberies': 11 Indian nationals catch visa fraud charge amid conspiracy allegations

The abuse of the U visa system was decried by immigration attorney Xavier Borjas to WBBM-TV in May 2024.

"It's very disheartening, because there are so many people that unfortunately do qualify [for U visas] and have been victims of these crimes that you want to ensure hopefully get some sort of ... relief," he said.

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‘will be in all 50 states’

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Patricia Krentcil, the reality TV personality who became infamous for her dark, splotchy spray tan, is back in the spotlight with a startling claim: ICE agents allegedly stopped her outside a restaurant, questioned her citizenship, and nearly handcuffed her because of her skin color.

“Going back to the ICE issue, I was at a restaurant out with my girlfriends, and I walked out with my friends,” Krentcil said on the “Light. Tan. Up.” podcast.

“As we’re walking out, the ICE people stopped me, and they asked me, am I an American citizen? And I’m like, ‘Yes.’ You know, like, it blew my mind. And because I was so tan, they were about to handcuff me and take me away, God knows where,” she continued.

Krentcil claimed that though she was “scared,” she “held [her] own” and “got out of the situation.”

“They’re very racist about color and nationalities and stuff like that, that I was in almost a pickle myself. And it was terrifying. And Trump supports all this nonsense,” Krentcil added.

“I constantly am told by the left that American citizens are getting hauled off and deported. And it sounds to me like they cleared it up rather quickly, if that even happened, which I think ... I’m going to need some receipts,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales comments.

“Who sprayed her like that? Where did she get that spray tan done? How often does she have to get it done to look like that? Why is this not blackface?” she continues.

“She goes around looking like this on purpose. This was not like an accident,” she adds.

Gonzales explains Krentcil is “actually a Republican” who “tried running for Senate once,” before playing her campaign ad.

“Hi, I’m Patricia. I’m a single working mom with five beautiful kids, and I love my family just like you. You might remember me being that tan mom from New Jersey, but that was a decade ago. Crazy tans, table-flipping, Snooki — it was an interesting time,” Krentcil said.

“But like the world we live in, I’ve changed greatly. I lost my husband last year to cancer. And I know what it’s like to deal with insurance companies. I was in a medically induced coma for two weeks, so I know what it’s like to deal with doctors and nurses and how very overwhelming health care can be,” she added.

Gonzales points out that in the ad, Krentcil shows a photo of her with Dr. Miami, a plastic surgeon, when she says she knows what it's like to “deal with doctors.”

“Knowing what it is like to be in a hospital as a patient does not qualify you to run the country,” Gonzales comments.

In another campaign ad, Krentcil said, “I was made a mockery of by the media for looking different.”

“I also believe that drag queens can be amazing role models for kids. ... Is that so crazy?” she continued.

“Yes,” Gonzales says, “everything that you just said there is crazy.”

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