Oakdale Visa Fraud Ringleader Gets 10 Years, 4 Ex-Officials Get 5 Years Each

U.S. District Judge Jerry Edwards Jr. sentenced Oakdale businessman Chandrakant “Lala” Patel, 40, to 10 years in federal prison Monday for leading a U-Visa fraud scheme that relied on fake police reports. Patel pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to commit visa fraud and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity. He will be removed from the United States when his sentence ends.

Four former law enforcement leaders from Oakdale, Glenmora and Forest Hill also received five-year federal sentences. Former Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon, 63, was sentenced with Patel on Monday. The other three were sentenced in September.

Get our free mobile app

Who Was Sentenced and What They Received

Chandrakant “Lala” Patel, 40, of Oakdale: 120 months in federal prison, sentenced Monday, Nov. 9.

Tebo Onishea, 39, of Glenmora, former Glenmora police chief: 60 months and two years of supervised release, sentenced Sept. 2.

Chad Doyle, 56, of Oakdale, former Oakdale police chief: 60 months, a $30,000 fine and two years of supervised release, sentenced Sept. 15.

Michael “Freck” Slaney, 65, of Oakdale, former Ward 5 marshal: 60 months, a $30,000 fine and two years of supervised release, sentenced Sept. 16.

Glynn Dixon, 63, of Forest Hill, former Forest Hill police chief: 60 months, a $30,000 fine and two years of supervised release, sentenced Monday, Nov. 9.

Onishea, Doyle, Slaney and Dixon each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit visa fraud. The remaining charges against Doyle and Slaney were dismissed.

How the Scheme Worked

Court documents say Patel recruited foreign nationals who wanted legal status in the United States. They paid him to be named as victims in made-up armed robbery reports. Patel then paid the four officials to write the false reports and sign immigration paperwork that supported the U-Visa applications.

The conspirators sent the fraudulent documents through the U.S. mail and other interstate carriers.

The sentencing announcement places the scheme between about November 2020 and July 2025. The 2025 indictment and the plea announcements date the conspiracy to December 2015.

Prosecutors said Patel paid the officials $5,000 for each immigrant’s name in the false reports. The indictment also said Patel received a U-Visa in 2023 based on his alleged status as an armed robbery victim.

What a U-Visa Is and Why Police Signatures Mattered

A U-Visa is set aside for victims of certain crimes who suffered mental or physical abuse and help law enforcement investigate or prosecute the crime. Applicants must submit a certification signed by an authorized official at the law enforcement agency involved.

That is where the four defendants came in. At the time, Onishea was Glenmora’s police chief, Doyle was Oakdale’s police chief, Slaney was marshal of the Ward 5 Marshal’s Office in Oakdale, and Dixon was Forest Hill’s police chief. Court evidence showed they used those jobs to certify the false reports.

Forfeited Assets and State Cases

Patel, Doyle and Slaney previously forfeited cash and other property. Patel gave up about $70,000 in cash, a safe deposit box holding gold bars and jewelry, five pieces of property, $30,000 from the sale of a vehicle, and a second vehicle valued at $34,000. Doyle forfeited about $1,600 in cash and an $11,000 side-by-side. Slaney forfeited more than $22,000 in cash and property valued at $47,000.

Doyle, Slaney and Dixon resigned after their arrests.

Onishea also pleaded guilty Sept. 14 to one state count of malfeasance in office in the 9th Judicial District Court. He received a five-year state sentence and began serving it alongside his federal term on Oct. 21. Dixon is due to be arraigned Monday, Nov. 16, on a felony count of malfeasance in office, based on Rapides Parish Clerk of Court records.

Agencies Behind the Investigation

Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation and the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Division investigated the case as part of the Homeland Security Task Force under Operation Take Back America. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John W. Nickel and Danny Siefker prosecuted it for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana.

What Happens Next

Patel will be removed from the United States after he serves his 10-year sentence. The four former officials will serve five-year federal terms followed by two years of supervised release. Dixon’s state arraignment is set for Nov. 16.

You May Also Like

• Former Louisiana Official Indicted on Federal Fraud Charges
• 62-Count Federal Indictment Targets Louisiana Officers, Business Owner in Bribery Scheme