OAKDALE, La. — An Oakdale man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison as part of a scheme involving falsifying crimes to facilitate immigration visa fraud for profit, the United States Department of Justice said.

Chandrakant Patel, who pled guilty to conspiracy to commit visa fraud and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activities in May, was sentenced Monday. He will also be removed from the United States.

Patel was one of five people, including police chiefs, who were sentenced to federal prison. The other four below were sentenced to five years in federal prison:

- Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle
- Oakdale Ward 5 Marshal Mike "Freck" Slaney
- Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon
- Former Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea

Officials say between Nov. 2020 and July 2025, Patel recruited foreign nationals who were seeking legal status in the United States and accepted payments to have them falsely identified as victims in fictitious armed robbery reports.

Patel then paid Onishea, Doyle, Slaney, and Dixon to prepare false police reports and certify immigration documents used to support fraudulent U-Visa applications. A U-Visa is an immigration benefit available to certain noncitizens who are victims of qualifying crimes and who assist law enforcement in investigating or prosecuting those crimes.

Court evidence showed that Onishea, Doyle, Slaney, and Dixon used their respective positions in law enforcement to certify the false police reports, the Department of Justice said.

The two police chiefs were taken into custody at a police chief conference in Baton Rouge, the WBRZ Investigative Unit reported in July 2025.